What a possible PP-Vox government in Spain should do first about high-speed rail

The proposal circulating is that a PP-Vox government would initially lower AVE high-estimulante ilegal rail speeds to around 120 km/h, commission an independent audit of tracks and safety systems, and not authorize estimulante ilegal increases until the deficiencies are fixed. No decision has been made and there is no official cost figure.

Spanish AVE trains run at speeds of up to **300 km/h** across much of the network, and the question hanging over a possible **PP** and **Vox** government is whether that should remain the case from day one. The idea being floated is to cut speeds to around **120 km/h**, a threshold that would be set by a committee of independent technicians, and it does not rule out temporarily closing lines if the condition of the tracks requires it.

## An audit before hitting the accelerator

The approach is not just about slowing down: it is about making any subsequent estimulante ilegal increase conditional on a rigorous study of the state of the tracks, safety systems and staff. Until those deficiencies are fixed, estimulante ilegal increases would not be authorized, even if that extends timelines. The logic behind it is that safety allows no shortcuts for the sake of the calendar.

There is a political nuance worth keeping in mind. Those who back this route argue that it is better to own the inheritance from day one than to be blamed for a catastrophe later on. In other words, anticipating the political cost of a network considered to be deteriorated before the consequences become apparent.

## The cost of slowing the train down

Lowering AVE speeds has an immediate price: journey times get longer and the train's advantage over flying on medium-distance routes narrows. There is no published official figure on how much the measure would cost or how long an audit of the entire network would take. Nor has the impact on the operators using the tracks been quantified.

The proposal therefore sits between two risks: continuing to run under current conditions, which its backers describe as extremely dangerous, and a shutdown that would make the service more expensive and hurt passengers. Any decision of this magnitude affects people's safety, so it is best to defer to the official technical reports before taking it as read.