About this episode
The episode explores the differences and similarities between high-speed rail in Spain and the transportation landscape in America.
Hello Interactors, Spain’s high-speed trains feels like a totally different trajectory of modernity. America prides itself on being the tech innovator, but nowhere can we blast 180 MPH between city centers with seamless transfers to metros and buses…and no TSA drudgery. But look closer and the familiar comes into view — rising car ownership, rush-hour congestion (except in Valencia!), and growth patterns that echo America. I wanted to follow these parallel tracks back to the nineteenth-century U.S. rail boom and forward to Spain’s high-spe ed era. Turns out it’s not just about who gets faster rail or faster freeways, but what kind of growth they lock in once they arrive. TRAINS, CITIES, AND CONTRADICTIONS My wife and I took high-speed rail (HSR) on our recent trip to Spain. My first thought was, “Why can’t we have nice things?” They’re everywhere. Madrid to Barcelona in two and a half hours. Barcelona to Valencia, Valencia back to Madrid. Later, Porto to Lisbon. Even Portugal is in on it. We glided out of city-center stations, slipped past housing blocks and industrial belts, then settled into the familiar grain of Mediterranean countryside at 300 kilometers an hour. The Wi-Fi…
People in this episode
Host: Brad Weed
Topics covered
- high-speed rail
- transportation
- urban growth
- congestion
- cultural comparison
- history of rail
- modernity
Keywords
- high-speed trains
- Spain
- America
- urban development
- rail history
- transportation
- congestion
- modernity
Mentioned in this episode
Products: high-speed rail (HSR), EasyJet
Places: Barcelona, Spain, America, Madrid, Valencia, Porto, Lisbon, Nazaré
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