Country with the biggest network of high speed trains?

[sasguru]

Japan? France? Germany?

You'd be wrong:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018395386633143.html

Now why can't we do that?

[Moscow Mule]

Now why can't we do that?

We spend all out money on public sector pensions.

[Platypus]

We spend all out money on public sector pensions.

bank bailouts

[Ravello]

Japan? France? Germany?

You'd be wrong:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018395386633143.html

Now why can't we do that?

Seriously? Because it would require a massive upgrade program to existing tracks, significant investment in the trains themselves and preferably some mechanism to ensure they actually run on time..

None of this is possible with a privatised network since the costs far outstrip the financial rewards. Whilst a government-owned network *might* account for the intangible benefits such as community cohesion; private companies will not.

[Pickle2]

You'd be wrong:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018395386633143.html
:

Franco would be pleased.

[MrMark]

One of the reasons they were able to find (private) capital for these new lines was because the occupancy levels were good for the original Madrid-Seville line. However I've not been able to find the occupancy levels for the new lines. Would be interesting to see if their recession is having an effect on this. Having said that, apparently the air-shuttle services between Madrid and Barcelona have been hard hit by the new fast train line.

[PRC1964]

It's also worth noting that they are not as constrained by planning regulations as we are here. In Spain if the government want to knock down your house to build a railway line, they just do it.

[Cyberman]

It's also worth noting that they are not as constrained by planning regulations as we are here. In Spain if the government want to knock down your house to build a railway line, they just do it.

True, but they will also aim to knock down foreigners' homes rather than indigenous folks properties. Spain are a very racist country.

[moorfield]

I took the AVE train from Madrid to Seville a few years back. Superb service and cheap too.

[TykeMerc]

It's also worth noting that they are not as constrained by planning regulations as we are here. In Spain if the government want to knock down your house to build a railway line, they just do it.

Very true, our planning and Public Enquiry system causes all sorts of issues for any major infrastructure work.

I was working for Railtrack when they were doing the East Coast Mainline and Channel Link projects and the costs and delays associated with Planning objections dwarfed the engineering costs of the actual projects.
Decades of poor maintenance budgets and outright neglect of the infrastructure has left us needing a massive programme of work to bring the network into the 20th let alone the 21st centrury.