Which Spanish high-speed railway line opened in 1992, connecting Madrid and Seville?

The Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line opened in 1992, connecting Spain’s capital with Seville.

Its opening marked Spain’s entry into high-speed rail and coincided with Seville hosting Expo ’92. The line was built to standard gauge, unlike much of Spain’s older railway network, which used Iberian broad gauge.

The route substantially reduced travel time between Madrid and southern Spain. It later became the model for Spain’s large-scale AVE expansion.

A common mix-up is confusing this line with the Madrid–Barcelona route, which opened in stages and reached Barcelona in 2008. Seville was the destination of Spain’s first high-speed line.