Page 255 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 6

High-speed rail and urban development in Spain from 1992 to 2016

Finally, table 18 shows the cases of cities of Girona, Figueres, Albacete, Villena and the MA of
Alacant where HSR services started in 2013. In this case, the MA of Alacant or better Alacant/
Elx shows a high increasing period of it IC until 2007, very greater than Spain or all other cities
with or without HSR services and before HSR services started. On the other hand, similar to
Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia, IC stopped from 2008. The begin of HSR services in Alacant/Elx
not shows a change of trend.
Girona shows a trend similar to Lleida and Tarragona with a period of high increasing of IC until
2007, before HSR services started. Also Figueres that maintain the increasing of IC after 2008
despite to start the period with IC minor that 100. Therefore, the cities of Lleida, Tarragona,
Girona and Figueres show trends similar that indicates a process of integration with Barcelona.
Girona and Figueres show, as a Barcelona, a trend change in two last years of series.

Table 18. Population Growth Index of cities/metropolitan areas that started HSR services in 2013.

Villena, a city of about 35.000 inhabitants shows a trend lower than Spain and other cities. This
fact indicates that not exist a process of integration in MA of Alacant/Elx.
Albacete show a trend significantly greater than Spain or other cities however is very fast of
Madrid and, consequently is not reasonable to think that it is in process to integration on MA
Madrid. Respect to the MA of Alacant/Elx, Albacete is more fast that Villena is, consequently
the process of integration in MA of Alacant/Elx must be previous for Villena. On the other hand,
Albacete not shows trend changes after HSR services started.

5. Conclusions

According to the analysis can make the following conclusions:

- All cities and metropolitan areas have their own economic dynamics usually independent
of HSR services. HSR services can help these dynamics but not necessarily. Therefore,
HSR services is not synonym of economic progress.

- It is possible to identify different kind of IC dynamics for different cities and metropolitan
areas.

- The metropolitan areas that always present a positive trend of IC higher than Spain

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