Spain - Older General Information

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Introduction

This document acts as an archive for Recent and Future Changes prior to December 2020.

Changes in 2020

  • The Zamora - Pedralba de la Pradería (- Ourense) LAV opened on 27 October. The 1668 mm gauge line between Puebla de Sanabria and Pedralba de la Pradería thereby lost its passenger service.
  • The 'Garcia Lorca' between Barcelona and Sevilla was renamed the 'Torre Oro' from 5 October and formed of variable gauge stock. This had the effect of reopening the line through the Alcolea gauge changer east of Còrdoba.
  • Alacant - Dénia (FGV): Calp to Teulada reopened on 31 July after long term closure for engineering works
  • Madrid Cercanías line C-9 (the 18km long metre gauge Cercedilla - Los Cotos line) ceased running on 15 March, when the national lockdown started.
  • Murcia Cercanías line C2 to Lorca and Aguilas ceased running on an unknown date in 2020 (perhaps on 15 March, when the national lockdown started), being replaced by a bus service. This became a long term engineering work bus substitution from Murcia to Lorca from 8 November 2021 due to construction of the new high speed line to Almeria.
  • The service between Cáceres and Valencia de Alcantara ceased on presumably 15 March, when the national lockdown started.
  • The Sevilla Cercanias line C2 to Cartuja ceased running on 15 March, when the national lockdown started.
  • The combined Sud Express and Lusitania Trenhotel to Lisbon were suspended on 17 March, following the national lockdown, and have never been reinstated. This was the only passenger train running west of Salamanca La Alamedilla.
  • Owing to modernisation work on the Toses tunnel, the service between Ribes de Freser and Puigcerdá/La Tour de Carol was bus substituted from 22 June.
  • Avant services between Granada and Sevilla started on 16 February, reopening Loja station, but running via Córdoba.
  • On 22 January the bridge over the river Tordera between Malgrat and Blanes, on the Barcelona - Mataro - Maçanet-Massanes line, was washed away. Services were bustituted between Malgrat and Blanes.
  • The Camp de Tarragona - Vandellòs LAV opened on 13 January. The line east of La Boella is 1435 mm gauge but west of there is initially 1668 mm gauge with gauge convertible sleepers. The existing 1668 mm gauge line between Central nuclear de Vandellós II and Salou - Port Aventura closed on the same day.

Changes in 2019

  • On 9 September Bermeo trains were diverted via the Bilbao Metro L3 line, thus withdrawing services between Bilbao Atxuri and Kukullaga.
  • The Antequera Santa Ana - Granada line opened to traffic on 26 June 2019 but only for 1435 mm gauge high speed services. It comprises a ca 62 km 1435 mm gauge new line from Antequera Santa Ana to Venta del Rayo, with mixed 1435/1668 mm gauge on the existing line thence to Granada. The original 1668 mm gauge line closed to all traffic on 7 April 2015 for the conversion to mixed gauge. This (re)opening also resulted in withdrawal of the Talgo service between Granada and Madrid via the 'classic' main line, closing once again the curve between Moreda station and Bif. Almeria.
  • The line between Bobadilla and Algeciras reopened from 14 May, having been closed since 21 October 2018 owing to storm damage.
  • The Valencia Cercanias line (route C2) between L’Alcúdia de Crespins and Moixent, closed on 2 March 2010, reopened on 15 May.
  • The Variante de Camarillas, an 18.6 km cutoff between Agramón and Cieza on the Albacete - Murcia line, opened on 21 March. The former route via Calasparra closed completely on 2 March to allow the new line to be connected.
  • SFM electric services from Enllaç to Manacor commenced on 8 January and the purely interchange station at Enllaç closed. All train services on Mallorca are now electric.

Changes in 2018

  • One track of the new Alicante Serra Grossa 1.5 km tram tunnel opened on 18 December.
  • Owing to continuing delays with the route upgrade work between Antequera and Granada, a daily Talgo service between Granada and Madrid via the 'classic' main line was introduced from 26 November, reopening the curve between Moreda station and Bif. Almeria after several years with no service.
  • Owing to the start of work on the future LAV from Murcia, services to Almeria were cut back on 14 November to the former station of Huercal-Viator. A provisional terminal station was provided here, with a bus connection to Almeria. The line into Almeria will be put underground south of El Puche level-crossing, located about 2.5 km from the current Almeria station.
  • On SFM Mallorca, Electric services from Enllaç - Sa Pobla commenced on 29 October. Passengers for Manacor still had to change to a DMU at Enllaç.
  • A severe storm hit parts of Andalucia on 21 October, resulting in the destruction of the bridge over the Río Blanco, between Osuna and Pedrera on the Sevilla - Osuna - Antequera SA line. A replacement bus service was instituted between Osuna and Pedrera. The train service between Pedrera and Malaga ran via the broad gauge platforms at Antequera Santa Ana, causing the opening to passenger service of the loop line serving these platforms and the closure to passengers of the more westerly line between Fuente de Piedra and Antequera SA. The storm also damaged the Algeciras line, resulting in total closure between Bobadilla and Algeciras.
  • The existing line between Valorio tunnel (3 km west of Zamora) and La Hiniesta closed on the evening of 3 August. A new line to replace it opened on 8 August.
  • A new station in Huelva opened on 25 April, 800 metres east of the old station, which was thereupon closed.
  • The 7 km Pobra de San Xiao cutoff (between Pedrelo-Celtigos and Lugo) opened to public traffic on 24 April.
  • Owing to TGV Duplex sets not being authorised to run in Spain, the only cross-border passenger movements between Hendaye and Irun from December 2017 were in the direction Spain to France. There were no equivalent standard gauge movements in the opposite direction. However train 313 the Sud Express to Lisboa started from Hendaye from an unknown date in spring 2018, possibly the first advertised broad gauge train to run in this direction.
  • Madrid - València AVE services were extended to Castelló de la Plana on 23 January following the addition of a third rail to the existing line to create a mixed 1435/1668 mm gauge line.

Changes in 2017

  • The new 15.9 km Granada tram system (with 2.7 km underground in the centre) opened on 21 Sept, delayed from the original target of 2012 by finance issues.
  • The FGC Vallès line extension from Sabadell Plaça Major to Sabadell Parc del Nord opened on 20 July.
  • On 8 April EuskoTren opened the 6 km Bilbao Metro line 3 from Kukullaga-Etxebarri to Matiko (Ciudad Jardin) and reopened Matiko - Sondika (- Lezama), including a 1.9 km tunnel between Matiko and La Ola to replace the existing sharply-curved single-track alignment. This is the first stage of the new line between Bilbao city centre and the airport. Contrary to expectations, Lutxana - Sondika did not close
  • Arriondas to Ribadesella, on the FEVE line east of Oviedo, was electrified from Easter 2017

Changes in 2016

  • EuskoTren opened a 1 km branch from Herrera to Altza on 21 September. An extension is planned which will continue the branch beyond Altza to rejoin the Amara [Donostia] - Hendaia line at Pasaia.
  • The FGC Vallès line extension from Sant Quirze to Sabadell Plaça Major opened on 13 September. The short stub to Sabadell Rambla closed on 12 September.
  • The Calpe – Dénia section of the FGV line to Dénia was closed for engineering work on 28 July.
  • The consortium operating the Barcelona - Perpignan line went into administration and was declared bankrupt on 30 June. The concession has ceased and the line passed to the French and Spanish governments.
  • Medina [del Campo] Alta Velocidad station opened on 1 February, whereupon all services between Madrid and Galicia transferred to the new high speed line and the gauge changer at Zamora came into use. The existing route from Olmedo to Medina de Campo (reinstated and re-gauged in 2008) thereupon closed, together with the associated gauge changer near Medina.

Changes in 2015

  • The first part of the Madrid – Galicia high speed line, from Olmedo to Zamora, via the as yet unopened Medina del Campo AV station, opened on 17 December, together with a connection from Medina del Campo AV to the conventional line to Salamanca via a gauge changer. However, in order to retain calls at Medina del Campo, the existing route from Olmedo to Medina de Campo (reinstated and re-gauged in 2008), and the associated gauge changer near Medina remained in use for services between Madrid and Galicia. The new line between Medina del Campo AV and Zamora was used only by an Alvia service between Madrid and Zamora.
  • The FEVE Pola de Laviana branch closed temporarily from 9 November south of Tuilla for works to put the line underground through La Felguera. It is not known when it will reopen.
  • The Valladolid - Palencia - León high speed line opened on 30 September.
  • The new line from San Isidre to Fuente San Luis opened on 19 September, enabling the resumption of through working from (Cuenca -) Utiel to Valencia Nord.
  • The FGC Vallès line extension from Terrassa Rambla to Terrassa Nacions Unides opened on 29 July.
  • In connection with construction work for Bilbao Metro Line 3, on 1 June Bilbao Casco Viejo - Loruri/Ciudad Jardin was closed. Lutxana - Sondika reopened on the same date in order to maintain a passenger service to Lezama.
  • The Eje Atlántico A Coruña - Vigo high speed line, including the new underground Vigo Urzaiz station, associated 8.3 km long Túnele Vigo-Das Maceiras approach as well as the 1.6 km Viaducto Rio Ulla, 60 m above the Rio Ulla, opened on 18 April.
  • The last "Estrella" overnight service, that between Madrid and Barcelona, was withdrawn in early April.
  • All through services between Madrid and Granada were withdrawn on 7 April and the line between Antequera Santa Ana and Granada closed to all traffic for an indeterminate period for conversion to a 1435 mm gauge line. Some sections will be regauged and others will be replaced by new 1435 mm gauge line. The locomotive hauled "Altaria" services will be replaced by high speed AVE services when the line reopens.

Changes in 2014

  • Bilbao Metro Line 2 was extended 1.2 km from Santurtzi to Kabiezes on 28 June

Changes in 2013

  • The Barcelona <> Malaga service ceased using the broad gauge line between Cordoba and Malaga from 23 June, running instead via the high speed line. This meant withdrawal of all passenger services between Cordoba and Fuente de Piedra and also on the 1668 mm gauge line bypassing Antequera Santa Ana - a section of the "Eje transversal de Andalucia".
  • The Albacete - Alacant/Alicante high speed line opened to public service on 18 June.
  • Regional/Media Distancia services in southern Andalucía were reorganized from 12 May, using Antequera Santa Ana as their node in place of Bobadilla. This had the effect of bringing into use at long last the 1668 mm gauge loop line serving Antequera Santa Ana off the Fuente de Piedra - Bobadilla "Eje transversal de Andalucia" line, but also withdrawal of services using the Bobadilla - Bif. Las Maravillas curve.
  • The Barcelona - Girona - Figueres Vilafant high speed line opened on 9 January, which meant closure to passengers of the short Figueres Vilafant - Vilamalla mixed gauge line. Through TGV's to Barcelona started on 15 December.
  • FEVE (Ferrocarriles Españoles de Via Estrecha) was formally absorbed into RENFE Operadora (operations) and ADIF (infrastructure) on 1 January.
  • A further ~9 km section of the The Eje Atlántico A Coruña - Vigo high speed line opened in June between Arcade [Pontevedra] and Portela.

Changes in 2012

  • The line through Durango was diverted underground with new subterranean stations at Durango, San Fauste and Trana, completed 17 December 2012. This included a new EuskoTren HQ as part of Durango site redevelopment.
  • The Ramal de Cáceres (Torre das Vargens - Marvāo Beirã CP - Valencia do Alcántara RENFE - Cáceres) closed to all traffic on 15 August 2012. The Lusitania (Lisboa - Madrid sleeping car train) was rerouted via the Vilar Formoso CP - Fuentes de Oñoro RENFE border crossing. All through freight traffic was discontinued on 5 February 2012. However, Cáceres - Valencia do Alcántara has since reopened to local passenger traffic.
  • The Pinto - San Martin de la Vega branch (Madrid Cercanias Line 3a) closed on 4 April 2012.
  • The 7.2 km San Jeronimo - Cartuja branch (Sevilla Cercanias Line 2) reopened on 20 February 2012. It originally opened as a standard gauge branch for the 1992 Olympics and is unusual in being a conversion to broad gauge.
  • It is reported that the SFM (Mallorca) line from Empalme (the junction east of Inca) to Manacor, reopened in 2003 after a couple of decades of disuse, is now out of use once again owing to the collapse of an embankment at an unknown date, and that its future is uncertain.

Changes in 2011

  • The new Logroño station and the associated alignment under the city opened on 11 December.
  • The new Santiago to Ourense line opened to public traffic on 11 December. This is the first 1668 mm gauge high speed line in Spain and connects into the upgraded Santiago de Compostela - A Coruña Eje Atlántico line.
  • Cerceda - A Coruña opened to traffic on same date, along with electrification to Santiago de Compostela
  • The new link from Hortaleza to Madrid Airport (Barajas) opened to public traffic on 23 September.
  • The León - San-Feliz (now Asuncion-Universidad) section of the FEVE León - Bilbao line closed on 18 September for conversion to a tramway scheduled to open in 2013, whereupon Asuncion-Universidad would become the interchange between FEVE trains and the trams.
  • The existing Vigo terminal station closed on 28 August prior to being put underground and converted into a through station, with a a new 8 km twin-tube tunnel from Redondela and also a new line to Guillarei which will reduce considerably the distance to Ourense and Madrid. A new temporary Vigo Guixar station, on the goods branch to the docks, north of the existing passenger station, opened at the same time.
  • Passenger services were introduced on the Barcelona Cercanias system between Granollers Centro and Martorell on 26 June 2011, including the last non-passenger section of the goods avoiding line between Mollet and San Fausto–Sardañola.
  • Both RENFE and FEVE services were cut back 900m to terminate at Gijon Sanz Crespo station from 31 January. This new station is slightly to the south of the existing formation.

Changes in 2010

  • The high speed UIC gauge line between Perpignan (France) and the new station of Figueres Vilafant opened on 19 December. Simultaneously a short new dual-gauge line opened between Figueres Vilafant and the existing Barcelona - Port Bou main line at Vilamalla, enabling Alaris broad-gauge trains to provide connections to Girona and Barcelona, and also a section of the high-speed line between Girona and Mollet del Vallès, at present used only for freight. The sections of line between Vilamalla and Girona and between Mollet del Vallès and Barcelona Port (Mollet/Can Tunis) via El Papiol have been equipped with dual-gauge track, enabling 1435 mm gauge freight traffic to serve Barcelona Port.
  • The high speed Madrid - Cuenca - Valencia/Albacete line opened on 18 December.
  • The Minister of Public Works announced in June that a number of lines were being considered for closure unless the relevant regional governments were willing to subsidise them. No definitive list had been announced by late July.
  • The EuskoTren Casco Viejo - Deustu line in Bilbao closed on 10 May to make way for the construction of the Bilbao Metro Line 3.
  • Logroño station was replaced by a temporary station on 30 April to enable work to start on putting the line underground through the city
  • Valencia Cercanias services between L’Alcúdia de Crespins and Moixent were replaced by buses on 2 March, supposedly as a temporay measure whilst the line was upgraded.
  • Following the derailment of the northbound train on 19 February, no more trains ran on the Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero Montecillo - Burgos Rosa de Lima (Bif. Madrid-Burgos) line, effectively closing it.

Changes in 2009

  • A Lanzadera service was introduced on 15 June 2009 between Cádiz and Jaén, using the new gauge changer completed in January at Alcolea, east of Cordoba where the high speed line to Madrid parts company with the 'classic' line via Linares-Baeza.
  • A curve providing a direct link between the Sevilla and Barcelona high speed lines, avoiding Madrid Atocha, was completed in early January, with daytime Barcelona - Andalucia services starting on 10 January.
  • The overnight services between Barcelona and A Coruña/Vigo were upgraded to Trenhotel format on 26 January 2009 and diverted via the high speed line to Zaragoza.
  • The Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos line reopened on 26 January, following the delayed completion of the Variante de Burgos connecting it to Burgos Rosa de Lima.
  • Work is in progress on doubling parts of the Málaga - Fuengirola line.

Changes in 2008

  • The A Escravitude - Santiago de Compostela - Cerceda section of the Eje Atlántico opened to traffic on an unknown date in 2007/08 and the Portela - Vilagarcia de Arousa section on an unknown date in 2008.
  • The Madrid-Lisbon Trenhotel “Lusitania” was derailed west of Caceres on January 23. As a result it was diverted in both directions via Fuentes Oñoro and Entroncamento. Following reopening of Caceres - Valencia de Alcántara on 14 December it resumed using this route.
  • Madrid - Barcelona: The final section of the high speed line from Roda de Bará to Barcelona Sants was opened on 21 February, well behind schedule.
  • A new alignment between Huesca and Plasencia del Monte, bypassing 8 level crossings and also providing a Huesca avoiding curve, was opened in March.
  • The short urban section Málaga María Zambrano – Alameda closed for upgrading work on 2 April and is expected to reopen about a year later
  • The line between Valencia Nord and Vara de Quart was closed on 5 April for engineering work in connection with the high speed line from Madrid. Trains to and from Cuenca now start and terminate at Vara de Quart (now renamed Valencia Sant Isidre), with RENFE tickets being valid on the Metro.
  • Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid: The Olmedo - Medina del Campo branch was opened on 10 April.
  • Sevilla - Cádiz. An elevated section avoiding El Portal station was opened in the spring.
  • The new broad-gauge tunnel for Cercanías services between Madrid Atocha and Madrid Chamartín via Puerta del Sol opened on 9 July.
  • FEVE launched a direct Oviedo - Gijón service in the summer via the El Berrón west - north curve.
  • The Torralba - Soria line was closed for engineering work from 18 August until 18 November.
  • The Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos line closed for engineering work on 27 August.
  • A 6km connection south of Leon, linking the Palencia (- Madrid) and Astorga (- Ourense) lines by means of a triangular junction at each end opened in early September. This has enabled freights to avoid the city (and especially a busy level crossing) entirely.
  • The Huelva - Zafra route was closed north of Jabugo-Galaroza on 26 September for relaying, with trains running between Jabugo-Galaroza and Zafra only between Friday evening and Monday morning.
  • A 7km deviation between Murcia and Alquerías, the junction for Cartagena, opened on 8 August.
  • The daytime service between Barcelona and Vigo was diverted via the high speed line to Zaragoza on 15 September whereupon the Barcelona - Gijón and A Coruña portions were withdrawn.
  • The 7 km Eusko Tran light rail line in Vitoria started commercial service on 23 December from Angulema to Ibaiondo; a branch to Lakua is expected to open in the future.
  • The Burgos by-pass (San Mames - Rubena) with a new passenger station of Burgos Rosa de Lima, north of the city, opened on 14 December. The existing station and its approaches from the east and west closed on the same day.
  • New Barcelona - Bilbao and Barcelona - Irún daytime services via the high speed line to Zaragoza were introduced on 14 December, replacing former overnight trains.

Changes in 2007

  • The new underground Plaza de España station in Palma city centre, the largest metre gauge station in Europe, opened in early March. At present only four of the planned ten platforms are in use.
  • The last train on Valencia Cercanias line C4 to Quart de Poblet ran on 5 October, with the service being cut back to Xirivella-L'Alter. The service was effectively replaced by the L5 Metro service which opened in the spring.
  • The Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid AVE was opened on 22 December. However, this was achieved only by the desperate expedient of providing two single lines (one 1435 mm and one 1668 mm gauge) on the southern approaches to Valladolid. A new double track line between Valdestillas and Pinar de Antequera was planned to open in 2011.
  • Córdoba - Malaga high speed line: The Antequera Santa Ana - Malaga section was opened on 23 December. The final 2km into Málaga will eventually be underground, replacing the existing main line in its entirety.

Changes in 2006

  • Madrid - Barcelona high speed line: The line was extended from Lleida to Roda de Bará on 19 December.
  • Córdoba - Malaga high speed line: The Córdoba - Antequera Santa Ana - Bobadilla section was opened on 17 December.

Changes in 2005

  • The [Madrid -] Alameda de La Sagra - Toledo AVE branch opened on 15 November, whereupon the remaining Castillejo-Añover - Algodor section of the former 1668 mm gauge branch to Toledo was closed.

Changes in 2004

The Basque Government created Euskal Trenbide Sarea, the infrastructure authority, in September to take over their part of the FEVE system.

See also