How to repurpose abandoned railway tracks: with electric mini trains1
Since the 1980s, Spain has abandoned more than 2,800 miles of conventional railway tracks, due to their unprofitability or the need for expensive expansion. Nearly 1,250 miles of railway have been dismantled to become greenways (trails), while the rest remains unmaintained, as is the case in other European countries. But two pioneering projects believe that they could be used again.
These initiatives are seeking to build autonomous, small-seat electric mini-trains, prototypes that in the future could connect low-demand destinations, at a very low cost… and without drivers. However, Spanish legislation currently poses a major obstacle.
