Barcelona - Sweden's King Carl Gustaf, 63, on Tuesday took a ride on one of Spain's high-speed AVE trains, Infrastructure Minister Jose Blanco said. Carl Gustaf headed a 20-strong delegation of his country's Royal Engineering Academy, which came to study scientific and technological advances including the high-speed train network.
The monarch travelled the 314-kilometre stretch separating Barcelona from Zaragoza in 90 minutes. Blanco said he was "impressed."
Delegations from several countries, including the United States, have come to study Spain's high-speed train network which links cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga and Valladolid.
Teofilo Serrano, president of the rail company Renfe, said that by 2020, Spain would have more high-speed rail lines than any other country except for China.
