Railways in
Spain
An AVE High Speed Train of RENFE passes a spectacular hilltop castle
The first railway in Spain opened on 28th October, 1848 between
Barcelona and Mataro. Although the standard gauge of 1435mm had by then
been adopted in several European countries, the new line used a broader
gauge of 1674mm (6 Castilian feet). This was generally adopted for new main
lines in Spain and of course resulted in a break of gauge at the French
border when trains eventually reached it. Neighbouring Portugal had a
slightly different gauge of 1664mm which did permit interoperation;
however with increasing speeds in the late 19th / early 20th centuries
ride and wear became a problem so the systems of both countries were
gradually reconfigured to a compromise gauge of 1668mm, which became known
as Iberian gauge.
Unlike the break of gauge situation between Great Britain and Ireland,
which involved a sea crossing anyway, or between Russia and the rest of
Europe which historically was never a heavily used land crossing for
political reasons, overland international traffic between Spain and
neighbouring France has always been significant. Elaborate gauge-changing
facilities at Irun and Hendaye on the Atlantic coast, and Port Bou and
Cerbère on the Mediterranean, allow both freight and passenger trains to
conduct a relatively uninterrupted journey across the French border. At
one time, there was even a Madrid to Moscow sleeping car service, which
involved two changes of gauge.
As well as the Iberian gauge network, there were also a great number
of narrow gauge lines, mainly metre gauge. Many of these remain in
operation.
The first dedicated high speed line (AVE) between Madrid and Seville
opened in 1992 with a gauge of 1435mm. This enabled the project to use
essentially off-the shelf French technology, but is not without its own
problems, not least that the new lines required their own infrastructure
into the city centres that they serve. Automatic gauge changing facilities
are provided for trains that run beyond the high speed network onto
existing lines.
Main line and regional railways
- RENFE passenger
and freight operator on the national broad gauge network and passenger
operator on the former FEVE network of narrow gauge lines in the north
of the country
- Avlo
low cost, book in advance high speed train services operated by
RENFE
- Ouigo
low cost, book in advance high speed train services operated by a
subsidiary of SNCF
- Tracción Rail independent freight operator
- Transfesa
independent freight operator
- Constru-Rail
freight operator on the former FEVE network of narrow gauge lines in
the north of the country (Site in Spanish)
- ADIF infrastructure
authority for the national broad gauge network and the former FEVE network
of narrow gauge lines in the north of the country
- EuskoTren
Basque regional operator. Also operates steam tourist trains and the
Reinata funicular in Bilbao
- FGC Catalan
regional operator. Also operates tourist steam trains, and several
funiculars
- Infraestructures.cat infrastructure authority for
the Catalan region (Site in Catalan and Spanish)
Port and Industrial Railways
- The port of Ferrol has an extensive rail network serving
the Inner Port, connecting with the national network. An extension to the Outer Port is projected,
which, amongst other things, will require a 5.6km tunnel and
a 600m viaduct (Website contains links to PDF documents
in Spanish)
- Fesava
operator of internal rail services in various locations,
including Algeciras port and Cepsa’s La Rábida refinery.
Tourist & Museum Railways
- AREMAF offers rides in a historic diesel railcar
on a short stretch of Iberian gauge line at the Delicias Railway
Museum in central Madrid. Operates typically one Saturday each month
throughout the year (Site in Spanish)
- The Basque
Railway Museum in Azpeitia offers steam hauled passenger train
rides on a 5km, metre gauge line between Azpeitia and Lasao.
Operates weekends, Easter to early November
- Bulnes underground funicular in the Asturias, 2.2km
in length with a rise of 400m. Operates daily throughout the year.
Before the funicular was opened in 2001 the only way to reach to Bulnes
was by a steep mule track, there being no road access (Site in
Spanish. An English version is available, but is poorly translated.
Better results can be obtained using Google Translate - or similar -
to interpret the Spanish site)
- Gelida historic funicular connecting the RENFE
station with the village. Metre gauge, with a rise of 100m in a
length of 884m. Operates daily throughout the year
- Montserrat (Catalunya) a rack railway connects the
FGC rail station Monistrol de Montserrat with the monastery and museum.
From the upper station of the rack railway near the monastery entrance,
two funiculars operate: one ascending to the church of St John at the
summit of the mountain; the other descending to the Holy Cave on the
historic pilgrim route to the monastery. All operate daily throughout
the year
- Pola
Giverola Resort near Tossa de Mar has a private funicular linking
the hotel complex with its sports facilities (Site contains
little information relating to funicular)
- Tren del
Ciment (Cement Train) 3.5km section of a 600mm gauge former industrial
railway, now used to convey tourists from La Pobla de Lillet (Alt
Llobregat) to the Cement Museum at Castellar de n’Hug. Operates daily,
April to early November
- Tren de la Fresa
(Strawberry Train) tourist train using historic passenger coaches on the ADIF
line between Madrid and Aranjuez, 44km
- Tren dels Llacs historic diesel hauled train or
modern railcar on the Iberian gauge FGC line between Lleida and
La Pobla de Segur, a distance of about 89km. Operates Saturdays, mid
April to mid August
- Cremallera de Núria rack railway from Ribes-Enllaç
to Núria in the Pyrenees, 12.5km, metre gauge. Operates weekends
in May and November, daily June to October.
Miniature Railways
- AAAF
5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway about 660m in length, at a
railway museum in Torrellano. Steam or battery electric hauled.
Operates every Saturday and some Sundays throughout the year
(Site in Spanish)
- AAF Reus
5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway, about 500m in length, in the
Parc del Trenet, Reus. Steam or battery electric hauled. Operates
most Sundays throughout the year (Site in Catalan)
- AFEVI
5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway, almost 700m in length, in
the Parc de Ribes Roges, Vilanova i la Geltrú. Steam, diesel or
battery electric hauled. Operates Sundays throughout the year
- AFRA 5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway, about 600m in
length, in the Parque Temático del Ferrocarril, Gimileo
(No website located at present)
- ASAFEGI
5 / 7¼ inch (127 / 184mm) gauge miniature railway, about 700m in
length, in the Parc de l’Estació, Fornells de la Selva. Steam or
diesel hauled. Operates Sundays for most of the year, except in
August (Site in Catalan and Spanish)
- Carrilet de Vilamanya 7¼ / 15 inch (184 / 381mm)
gauge miniature railway, about 500m in length, located on the TP3211
road between Riudecanyes and Castell d´Escornalbou. Steam or
diesel hauled (Facebook page in Spanish, no details of
opening times)
- CEMFES
7¼ / 10 inch (184 / 256mm) gauge miniature railway, over 3km
in length, in the Parc de Catalunya, Sabadell. Steam or diesel
hauled. Operates Sundays throughout the year
(Site in Catalan)
- CFVRt
5 inch (127mm) gauge miniature railway, 680m in length, in the
Parque Municipal Maldonado, Riba-roja de Turia. Steam or diesel
hauled. Operates Sundays throughout the year (Site in
Spanish, links for English and French versions not functional
when last checked)
- Circuit
Ferroviari de Cal Gavatx 5 / 7¼ inch (127 / 184mm) gauge
miniature railway, almost 500m in length, at the Centre d'Estudis
Ferroviaris Via Oberta, Les Franqueses del Vallès. Steam or diesel
hauled. Operates Sundays, September to June (Facebook
page in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril del Alamillo 5in (127mm) gauge
miniature railway, over 600m in length, in the Parque del Alamillo,
Sevilla. Steam, diesel or battery electric hauled. Operates
Sundays throughout the year (Site in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril
de Can Mercader 5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway, over
1.5km in length, in the Parc de Can Mercader, Cornellà de
Llobregat. Steam or diesel hauled. Operates most Sundays and
Public Holidays throughout the year (Site in Catalan)
- Ferrocarril
Central de Galicia 5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway, about
470m in length, in the Parque Ferroviario de Os Carrileiros, Ourense.
Diesel or battery electric hauled. Operates Sundays throughout the
year (Site in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril de las Delicias 5in (127mm) gauge miniature
railway, 265m in length, at a railway museum in central Madrid.
Steam or diesel hauled. Operates most Sundays throughout the
year (Site in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril de Farja 5 / 7¼ inch
(127 / 184mm) gauge miniature railway, over 1km in length,
in the Parc del Trenet, Benicàssim. Diesel or battery electric
hauled. Operates Sundays and Public Holidays throughout the
year, a few other days for special events, and on Fridays
for prebooked school parties (Site in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril
de la Granja 7¼ inch (184mm) gauge miniature railway,
over 1km in length, in the Parc Municipal de La Granja, Burjassot.
Steam or diesel hauled. Services currently suspended
for essential maintenance, no date given for reopening
(Site in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril del Masnou 5in (127mm) gauge miniature
railway, over 200m in length, in the Parc de Caramar, El Masnou.
Steam or diesel hauled. Currently open only
occasionally for special events (Facebook page mainly
in Catalan)
- Ferrocarril Vallesequillo 5in (127mm) gauge miniature
railway, about 200m in length, in the Parque de Vallesequillo, Jerez de la Frontera.
Steam or diesel hauled. Operates Sundays and a few other days throughout
the year (Facebook page in Spanish)
- Ferrocarril de Vallparadís 5 / 7¼ inch
(127 / 184mm) gauge miniature railway, 340 in length, in the Parc
de Vallparadís, Terrassa. Steam or diesel hauled. Operates Sundays
for most of the year, except in August (Site in Catalan)
- Iraetako Trena 5 inch (127mm) gauge miniature
railway, 270 in length, in the Iraeta Railway Park, near Zestoa.
Steam, diesel or battery electric hauled. Operates alternate
Saturdays from March to October (Site in Basque and
Spanish)
- Muferga
the Galician Railway Museum in Monforte de Lemos has a 5 inch (127mm)
gauge miniature railway about 650m in length. Operates Tuesdays to
Sundays throughout the year (Site in Spanish)
- Tren Alcoy-Gandia 5in (127mm) gauge miniature railway,
over 500m in length, at the railway museum in Almoines. Steam or
diesel hauled. Operates Sundays throughout the year
(No website located at present)
- Tren de
l’Orenata 5 / 7¼ / 10 inch (127 / 184 / 256mm) gauge miniature
railway over 600m in length in the Parc de l’Orenata, Barcelona.
Steam or diesel hauled. Operates Sundays ans Public Holidays
throughout the year (Site in Catalan with autotranslate
to English and other languages)
- Tren de
Palau 10 inch (256mm) gauge miniature railway almost 3km in
length in the Parc de l’Hostal del Fum, Palau-solità i Plegamans.
Usually diesel, occasionally steam hauled. Operates most Sundays
and Public Holidays, September to June
- Trenet de la Vall d’Aro 5 inch (1276mm) gauge
miniature railway, about 700m in length, in the Parc de l’Estació,
Castell d’Aro. Steam or diesel hauled. Operates Sundays throughout
the year (Facebook Page mainly in Catalan)
Metros, trams and urban funiculars
See also:
- Railway station names in Basque
There are no railways in the Spanish coastal enclaves and
offshore islands of North Africa.