Spain's first ever high-speed rail line was tested in the 1960s on a section of track near Seville, marking the very first time a train had exceeded 200 km/h in the country. After extensive consulation and planning in the 1980s, it was decided that the tracks would be standard gauge in line with the rest of Europe but made it incompatible with the rest of Spain's rail network – this does have many travel benefits, though: precisely, the high-speed rail network is segregated and any issues with one line are unlikely to affect other lines. The first HSR line fully opened between Madrid and Seville in 1992 and since then, Spain has only ever continued expanding its network. With the network now capable of reaching up to 350 km/h (220 mph), the network, along with the French TGV network, is one of the world's fastest passenger railways.

Most of Spain's high-speed rail network is operated by Renfe under the brand name AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) which operate most routes out of Madrid and to a lesser extent, Barcelona. The network does heavily rely on a hub and spoke model and in many cases, it will be faster to take a train in and out of Madrid than it is to go direct (if there is one in the first place).

Renfe also operates a few other services – Avlo is the direct budget alternative to AVE that operates on more higher-demand routes such as to Barcelona, Valencia or Alicante. Avlo costs less than AVE, but expect fewer facilities onboard and stricter luggage limits. Alvia is a hybrid and has services that run on both the high-speed and normal tracks for places yet to be served by AVE. Avant primarily operates medium-distance trains and connect to smaller regional centres. The capacity of Avant services tend to be a lot lower, as is the max speed of only 250 km/h (160 mph).

As of 2025, two other private operators also run high-speed trains on various routes. Ouigo (or Ouigo España) is the prime competitor to Avlo (Renfe's budget operator), run as a subsidary of France's SNCF. The style of trains are very similar to France's TGV and fares tend to be similar to budget airfares: a low base fair but you have to pay extra for luggage, Wi-Fi or seat selection. Iryo is a bit more upmarket and based on Trenitalia's trains.