The new high-speed rail connection between Madrid and Barcelona has made its inaugural journey today (February 20th).

According to Typically Spanish, the new service has already proved to be the most popular AVE line yet, with 70,000 tickets sold by the rail operator since they were made available last Thursday (February 14th).

Ranging in price from €40.80 (£30.85) to €163.50, tickets can be conveniently booked on the internet and allow buyers access to a journey time of just two hours and 38 minutes between the two cities.

AVE plans to shorten this travel time even further in the future once additional safety measures are finalised, the website reports.

The launch of the Madrid-Barcelona service means that, for those who do not like to fly, the Catalan capital can now be reached from the Costa del Sol by train in just over five hours. This is because the duration of the Madrid-Malaga AVE service, opened in December 2007, is just two hours and 30 minutes.

Plans for a new AVE station at Alicante are currently being developed, Typically Spanish reported last week.

Spanish utility company Gas Natural has announced plans to extend its services to several Costa del Sol locations which are without a mains gas supply.

The firm currently provides 54 Andalucian municipalities with gas via pipeline and is now bringing its supply to Estepona in the west and Nerja in the east, Typically Spanish reports.

Marbella will also benefit from a new gas supply - it is currently the only place in the country with a population of over 100,000 that is not connected to mains gas, according to the website.

Based in Barcelona, Gas Natural has recently set up a natural liquid gas plant in Velez-Malaga.

The expansion of the gas network on the Costa del Sol is set to continue throughout the year, subject to government authorisation.

Velez-Malaga’s mayor recently requested funding from the Junta de Andalucia in order to boost the city’s tram system, encouraging residents to take public transport and keep carbon emissions down.

A new station for high-speed trains could be built in Alicante province under proposals revealed by a group of local business leaders.

Located at Bacarot, the AVE station would serve both Alicante city and the nearby Costa Blanca city of Elche, with businesses hoping that the development will help to create an important new metropolitan area in southern Spain.

The ministry of development will now consider the plans, which have been put forward by the Business Confederation for Alicante Province, Typically Spanish reports.

If given the green light, the new station would also provide transport links for Alicante’s El Altet Airport. Construction is not likely to begin for several years, however.

According to official statistics released last month, El Altet is now the sixth busiest airport in Spain, with passenger numbers increasing by three per cent last year.

The train station could also be used by holidaymakers and property owners travelling to other popular Costa Blanca locations such as Torrevieja and Santa Pola.