Since the 1980s Spain abandoned more than 2,800 miles of conventional railway tracks because of unprofitability or high expansion costs. Nearly 1,250 miles were dismantled and converted into greenways, while the remainder remains unmaintained. ADIF reports Spain has 9,726 miles of railway, with 7,252 managed by ADIF and 2,473 by ADIF AV; 2,912 miles have been closed and 1,176 restored as cycling and hiking routes. Greenways generate rural jobs and tourism-linked commercial activity. Two pioneering initiatives aim to build autonomous small-seat electric mini-trains for low-demand destinations, but Spanish legislation currently poses a major obstacle. Germany's REAKT project plans sensor-equipped, AI-driven on-demand autonomous trains backed by government funding.
According to data from ADIF the state-owned railway infrastructure manager Spain currently has 9,726 miles of railway tracks, of which 7,252 are managed by ADIF (including the 741 miles that make up the narrow-gauge network) and another 2,473 miles are managed by ADIF AV (high-speed rail). The decision regarding the possible closure of railway sections or lines is the result of an analysis [conducted by] the Ministry of Transport and other affected public administrations, says a spokesperson for ADIF.
The organization estimates that 2,912 miles of railway lines have been closed, of which 1,176 miles have been restored and transformed into cycling and hiking routes. Greenways create jobs in rural areas, generating economic activity and a new commercial network linked to tourism, the spokesperson argues. But this isn't the only potential use for them. In Germany, the REAKT initiative, promoted by the Kiel University of Applied Sciences, seeks to reactivate disused railway lines through on-demand autonomous transport.
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