Traveling by Train in Spain: Renfe vs Amtrak

I took the AVE down to Sevilla on Friday, the hottest day in the heat wave.

"Do you think the train will not be able to run?" I asked El Andaluz. "Because it's going to be so hot."

"I have never, ever heard of the train not running because it's too hot," he said. "It's just not an issue."

Amtrak slows down/doesn't run when it is too hot outside, but, fortunately, Renfe has no problems with the heat. Score one for Spanish infrastructure.

A note about low-cost high speed trains in Spain: The Spanish railways have been deregulated, opening the market to competition among carriers to provide low-cost high speed trains. I think it's such a mistake--while I have often felt personally victimized by Renfe's high prices, I don't think any good can come from deregulating public transit, and in fact we'll all be paying more for crappier service in the future.

The paradox of "el café del tren": Somehow it is both the worst and the best coffee you've ever had.