New High-Speed Lines in Spain: Madrid to Valencia

Railway Gazette: Royal opening for Madrid – Valencia
AFP: Spain becomes Europe's high-speed rail leader

On Dec 19, RENFE will start revenue service on its new high-speed lines from Madrid to Cuenca, Valencia, and Albacete.

Construction will start early next year on extension of the Cuenca-Albacete line to Elche, Alicante, and Murcia. It will be hard to extend the lines eastward from Valencia and Alicante, however; those cities are on the Mediterranean Sea.

Spain now beats France in length of high-speed trackage and is now neck-and-neck with Japan, though it's hard to compete with China.

Railway Gazette: TGV tickets to Figueres on sale

Initially, two trains will operate from Paris to Figueres in northeastern Spain. Continuing further will require changing trains; a standard-gauge track from Figueres to Barcelona will not be ready until 2012. The high-speed line north of Figueres extends only 44 km to Perpignan, France; a high-speed line from Perpignan to Montpellier is still in the planning stage:

Railway Gazette: RFF to launch Perpignan – Montpellier study

AVE WILL CONNECT ALMERIA TO MADRID IN 3HRS 15MINS | Costa de Almeria

The wording looks unclear, which suggests some awkward translation. But from the looks of it, Spain's Ministry of Public Works will soon invite bids for the last of the 13 segments of the Murcia - Almeria line. Four of the segments are already under construction, and that construction is proceeding well.

That article mentioned a possible extension to Algeciras, near Gibraltar, which suggests an Almeria - Malaga - Algeciras line.

Alegericas , if not the main , is one of the main ferry terminals for ferries to Morrocco . pretty desolate wide open country down there , so property cost for a hsr shouldnt be too high .

The trains are running: Latin American Herald Tribune - Madrid-Valencia High-Speed Train Makes First Commercial Run

I found more detail on Perpignan - Figueres: France24 - French high-speed rail crosses Pyrenees for first time -- in a tunnel under Perthus Pass. Freight trains will be its first users, with TGV's following in mid-January. The date of completion of a standard-gauge line between Figueres and Barcelona has been bumped up to early 2013.

The French will eventually build a high-speed line from Avignon, Nîmes, and Montpellier to Perpignan.

Paris-Barcelona:
Previously: 9h 20m
With P-F open (now): 7h 20m
With F-B open (2013): 5h 30m
With A-P open (~2020): 4h 30m

On that article's page, I found France24 - Thousands protest new high-speed link between France and Italy -- environmentalists objecting to the planned Lyon-Turin route, and also to the Basque Y planned for northeastern Spain. Environmentalists have opposed other high-speed-line construction in Europe.

David Benton wrote:Alegericas , if not the main , is one of the main ferry terminals for ferries to Morrocco . pretty desolate wide open country down there , so property cost for a hsr shouldnt be too high .

I have travelled on the sleeper to Algeciras. It is the most important ferry terminal for Morocco. The train was full of Moroccans travelling from Paris.