What does the Spanish high-speed rail brand AVE stand for?

Spain’s AVE high-speed rail brand stands for Alta Velocidad Española.

The phrase translates roughly as “Spanish High Speed.” AVE services are operated by Renfe and run on Spain’s dedicated high-speed rail network, which uses standard-gauge tracks separate from much of the country’s older broad-gauge railway system.

Spain’s first AVE route opened in 1992 between Madrid and Seville. The line was built using technology influenced by France’s TGV system and helped establish Madrid as the centre of a rapidly expanding national high-speed network.

AVE is also the Spanish word for “bird,” which gives the brand a memorable association with fast travel. It should not be expanded as Alta Velocidad Europea: that phrase is plausible because many European railways operate high-speed trains, but it is not the official meaning of the acronym.