ABSTRACT

This chapter explores the research results on High-speed rail (HSR) territory interaction in Spain that go beyond direct transport impacts. It describes the factors to be considered in determining the spatial implications and reviews the scientific literature. The chapter debates the importance of the HSR station's location for attracting activities. It examines impacts at an interurban scale regarding new relations between metropolises, medium-sized and small cities. HSR leads to changes in accessibility and travel time, which induce changes in modal share and new transport demands. The urban role of HSR is related to the double identity of the stations established by Bertolini and Spit (1998) as both a transport node and a place. Some of these large intermediate cities have been located within major transportation corridors over history, with many important economic and personal transactions passing through them in Spain.