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Date Published: 20/12/2022

ARCHIVED - Madrid-Alicante-Murcia AVE gets underway

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

The first passenger train was late leaving Murcia this morning

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Madrid-Alicante-Murcia AVE gets underway

The inaugural journey of the Madrid-Murcia AVE, the high-speed train, took place yesterday, Monday December 19, with the King of Spain, Felipe VI; the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez; the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando Lopéz Miras; and the President of the Valencian Community, Ximo Puig, all travelling on the train for its first ceremonial journey.

After years of empty promises, false starts and thumb-twiddling, the city of Murcia and the Region of Murcia are connected to the Spanish capital by a high-speed rail line, and after the dignitaries completed their inaugural journey this Monday, the passenger trains for ordinary folk begin this Tuesday, December 20.

The King, President of Spain and President of the Region of Murcia on the first AVE from Madrid to Murcia yesterday https://t.co/1zC1Oa1pGv
— Spanish News Today (@MurciaToday) December 20, 2022

Half of these Madrid-Murcia journeys go by way of Elche, Orihuela and Alicante city in Alicante province, much to the disappointment of many in Murcia, who say this adds a lot longer onto the journey time and does a disservice to the Region of Murcia by not heading directly to Madrid in a straight line.

See all journey times and ticket prices for the new Murcia-Madrid trains

The opening ceremony began with the arrival of the AVE in Murcia from Madrid ten minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the King were disappointed, though, as he was kept underground and away from the hundreds of people gathered in front of the Estación del Carmen station to demanded the continuance of the Cieza line, which was sacrificed at the expense of the high-speed line through Alicante.

The fact that the AVE line goes underground at all was another win that the people of Murcia had to fight hard to achieve as initial plans had the trainline going above ground and disrupting many communities and neighbourhoods in central Murcia.

The AVE arrives in Murcia 30 years after the Madrid-Seville line was launched, a long wait, and there are currently four journeys per week. The Minister of Transport and Mobility, Raquel Sánchez, who was herself present on the inaugural journey this Monday, said in an interview last week that the number of services will be increased as demand increases, and the Ministry’s forecast is that before the beginning of summer 2023 there will be a fifth daily train.

Between December 14 and 29, tickets on the AVE are available to buy from just 19 euros which can be used for travel until December 2023.

This morning, Tuesday December 20, the first AVE train actually carrying paying customers left Murcia four minutes late after a baggage control machine broke down.

The inaugural journey yesterday was not without controversy itself, as some eagle-eyed observers noted at one point that President Sánchez had dared to walk ahead and in front of His Majesty the King and get on the train before him, something they took to be a thinly veiled republican slight.

Sánchez se adelanta al Rey durante la inauguración del AVE a Murcia pic.twitter.com/8xBoMgr8SC
— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) December 19, 2022

A few metres from where the inaugural ceremony took place, work continued to build more underground rail tracks for the Barriomar and Nonduermas sections, and also its continuation towards Lorca and Almería, which is expected to be completed in 2026.

The total cost of the underground works will exceed 700 million euros, significantly higher than the 617 million euros budgeted so far but it is a price travellers and taxpayers are undoubtedly willing to pay for this important and long overdue service.

Image: @CasaReal / Twitter

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