Last update for this page: 12 December 2007.
National Railway System: Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles. Under a law passed on 29 October 2003, RENFE infrastructure (including stations and signalling) is hived off into a completely separate body - Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) - leaving train operations as the responsibility of RENFE Operadora. Initially, at least, the existing operating divisions continue, with passenger services provided by four divisions:
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Cercanías - Suburban services around main towns and cities |
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Regionales - Interurban local services |
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Grandes Lineas - Long distance |
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AVE - High speed trains using the Madrid - Sevilla/Toledo and Madrid - Zaragoza – Lleida - Camp de Tarragona/Huesca lines |
Freight activity was traditionally split between Cargas (general freight) and Transporte Combinado (containers), but these are being combined into one operation.
Languages: Spanish (Español) is the principal language. This is known as Castellano (i.e. Castilian) in Spain. Other languages predominate in certain regions: Català (Catalan) is used in Catalunya and a variant of it (Valenciano) in the Valencia region; Gallego (Galician) is a Portuguese dialect, used in North West Spain; Euskara (Basque) is used in Euskadi (Pais Vasco, the Basque region): it is an isolate with no clear relationship to any other known language or language group. The regional languages are more likely to be encountered on notices and name signs than in spoken form. Català place names have been in general use for many years and are unlikely to cause confusion. Gallego and Castilian names are mostly similar, except for prefixes. For example, La Coruña and El Ferrol are A Coruña and O Ferrol in Gallego. Place names in Castilian and Euskara can be quite different. San Sebastían is known in Euskara as Donostia and Vitoria as Gasteiz. It should be noted that the Euskara name for Pamplona (the main city of Navarra) is Iruñea, which should not be confused with the border town, Irún.
Currency: Euro
UIC code: 71
Timetable: RENFE does not publish a national timetable. Individual leaflets are available for particular routes, but these are only distributed in the area served and may not be widely available. Separate timetable books for all the Grandes Lineas services (Horarios de Trenes) and Regionales services (Trenes Regionales Horarios) are known to have been published in recent years, but they may have been withdrawn - even for staff use - in favour of computerised data (reports of current sightings welcomed!). The RENFE website horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html will initially offer train times only for direct services; when the response "No-Direct Route" is received, insert a specific date and click the "To change" button to produce connecting services. For help on using the RENFE website go here. Note that the combined journey planner does not include Cercanías (suburban) services (even such a long and infrequently served rural route as [Murcia -] Lorca Sutullena - Águilas); details of such services are, however, obtainable from a separate journey planner within the website. Fortunately, coverage of Spain in Thomas Cook's European Timetable is quite comprehensive. For a very useful (though in Dutch language) set of links for public transport throughout Spain see www.xs4all.nl/~mmverst/tppib/nl/index.html.
Gauge: Most of the RENFE system is 1668 mm. The AVE high speed lines between Madrid and Sevilla/Toledo and between Madrid and Lleida/Huesca are 1435 mm; the branch north of Madrid between Cercedilla and Los Cotos is 1000 mm. RENFE operates freight and passenger rolling stock able to work on both 1668 mm and 1435 mm gauge lines. There are gauge-changing installations (cambiadores de anchos) at Déposito Madrid Las Matas, Déposito Barcelona San Andres, Madrid Atocha, Córdoba, Sevilla Majarabique, Antequera Santa Ana [Bobadilla], Plasencia de Jalón, Zaragoza-Delicias, Huesca, Lleida, Puigverd (east of Lleida), Roda de Bará, Irún and Port Bou. Except for Madrid Atocha, Córdoba, Zaragoza, Huesca, Lleida, Puigverd and the two depot installations, all are used daily by passenger trains. The gauge-changers at Lleida and Puigverd went out of use on 19 December 2006 with the introduction of that at Roda de Bará. That at Córdoba went out of use on 17 December 2006 resulting in the closure of the line from there to Valchillón.
Electrification: The standard RENFE system is 3000V dc. The AVE lines are 25kV 50Hz and Cercedilla to Los Cotos is 1500V dc.
Rule of the road: Generally right-hand running. Routes of the former FC del Norte, north and west of Madrid, are left-hand running.
Other railways:
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Eusko Tren (Eusko Trenbideak, Ferrocarriles Vascos): Bilbao - Donostia [San Sebastían] - Hendaia [Hendaye]; Bilbao Deustu - Lezama; Amorebieta - Bermeo. 1000 mm gauge, 1500V dc. |
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Ferrocarriles Españoles de Via Estrecha (FEVE): El Ferrol - Oviedo - Santander - Bilbao; Pravia - San Esteban de Pravia; Pravia - Gijón; Trubia - Collanzo; Gijón - Laviana; Orejo - Liérganes; Aranguren - Guardo - León; the isolated Cartagena - Los Nietos line in southern Spain and various freight lines in northern Spain. 1000 mm gauge. Part electrified at 1500V dc. |
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Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC): Local services around Barcelona, principally Plaça d'Espanya to Igualada and Manresa (1000 mm gauge, 1500V dc) and Plaça de Catalunya to Terrassa and Sabadell (1435 mm gauge, 1200V dc), plus the rack line Ribes de Freser - Núria (1000 mm gauge, 1500V dc) in the Pyrenees and the Lleida - Pobla de Segur branch, recently taken over from RENFE. Also freight-only branches Manresa to Suria and Sallent, and San Boi de Llobregat to Barcelona Docks [Morrot] (1000 mm gauge, diesel). |
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Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) operates a network in Valencia (1000 mm gauge, 1500/750V dc). Apart from sections of the Valencia tramway, these were converted from former FEVE lines, connected via new city centre through "metro" routes. Also Alacant - El Campello (1000 mm gauge, 750V dc) and El Campello - Benidorm - Denia (electrification at 1500V dc in progress from El Campello, 1000 mm gauge). |
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Ferrocarril de Palma de Mallorca a Sóller: Palma - Sóller. 914 mm gauge. Electrified at 1200V dc. |
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Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM): Palma - Sa Pobla and Manacor (1000 mm gauge). |
Tourist lines:
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Azpeitia - Lasao (operated in connection with the Basque Railway Museum at Azpeitia) |
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Museo Minero y Ferroviario: 11km of the former Rio Tinto mineral system; Talleres Mina - Los Frailes, north of Huelva; 1067mm gauge |
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CIFVM Museo del Tren: La Poveda - La Laguna del Campillo, in the suburbs south east of Madrid |
Metro: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao
Trams: Alacant, A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao, Sóller, Valencia.
Special notes:
RENFE operates a confusingly wide range of train types, and special fares apply on those that are fastest or offer superior facilities.
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Alta Velocidad Española (AVE): High speed train operating over the 1435 mm gauge high speed lines. |
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Euromed: High speed train between Barcelona, Valencia and Alacant. |
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Talgo: Express train using articulated, light weight carriages. High speed Talgo200 trains operate between Madrid and Málaga on both 1668 and 1435 mm gauge lines. |
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Alaris: Tilting trains between Madrid and Valencia. |
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Altaria: High speed loco hauled trains between Madrid and Alacant, Algeciras, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cartagena, Huelva, Irún, Logroño, Pamplona, S. Sebastián and Vitoria, which operate on both 1668 and 1435 mm gauge lines. |
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Arco, InterCity and Diurno: Other long-distance, day trains. |
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Avant: High speed trains operating over shorter distances on the 1435 mm gauge high speed lines: Madrid - Toledo; Madrid - Puertollano; Córdoba -Sevilla. |
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Alvia: High speed trains between Madrid and Barcelona, which operate on both 1668 and 1435 mm gauge lines. |
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Estrella: Overnight trains. |
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Trenhotel: Overnight trains with additional facilities, such as showers. |
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Euronight: International overnight trains. |
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Tren Regional Diesel (TRD): Longer distance local train. |
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Regional Exprés: Interurban local train. In some areas these have a local identity, for example Andalucía Exprés. |
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Regional: Rural local train. |
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Cercanías: Suburban train. |
Fares vary according to the type of train and time of travel. Usually fares are more expensive at busy times, but on Madrid Cercanías services fares are higher at weekends. On certain long-distance trains passes such as InterRail may only provide a discounted fare. It is always necessary for pass-holders to pay reservation fees, because these include compulsory travel insurance. Most passes are not valid on AVE trains, but discounts available include a 25% reduction for passengers in transit to join an international air flight. AVE passengers have a money-back guarantee if the train is more than five minutes late and refunds may be available in event of extreme lateness on other long-distance services.
RENFE maintains a rigid distinction between the four passenger service divisions. If a through journey involves a connection between trains of different divisions, a separate ticket will be issued for each division's portion of the journey.
A reservation is necessary to travel on any train other than Regional or Cercanías. At most main stations access to platforms used by long-distance trains is possible only upon production of a valid reservation. At busy times trains may become fully booked days in advance and standing passengers are not admitted. Anybody contemplating travel in Spain would be well advised to make their reservations before leaving their home country to guarantee travelling on the train of their choice.
To find a list of RENFE agents in other countries:
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go to www.renfe.es and click “Atención al Cliente”, |
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click the small Union Jack after “F.A.Q.” to obtain an FAQ page in English, |
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select a country from the drop down list under “Points of sale in the world”. Note that these names are in Spanish: UK = ‘Reino Unido’ and Germany = ‘Alemania’. |
A new page will pop up giving contact details for the agent(s) in that country.
Other travel agents in these countries may also be able to supply RENFE tickets.
Reservations can be made at main stations. Although the system is quite efficient, long queues can develop at the busier stations and it is often necessary to obtain a 'queue ticket'. Waiting times are generally much shorter early in the morning. Tickets can be purchased through the RENFE website, but only between 07:00 and 22:00 CET:
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go to https://w1.renfe.es/vbi/indexu.html select the desired operation and follow the instructions. Note that: |
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users must register as a customer the first time that they visit the Ticket Sales System (TIKNET); |
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the tickets obtained as the first purchase with each credit card used in TIKNET must be collected in person at a RENFE station equipped to handle advanced sales, in order to authenticate the owner of the credit card. The identification (such as a passport) quoted when first registering must be produced at the same time. No further purchases can be made until this is done. |
Connections between Grandes Lineas and Regionales trains may not wait in event of late running. Indeed, in spite of some reasonable connections being generated by the RENFE website, a reply to a query regarding a missed connection produced the response from RENFE that the minimum connectional time they recognised was 60 minutes.
Airport style luggage security checks using X-ray machines are made for many main line services, especially AVE trains and at Madrid stations.
Recent and future changes
AVE:
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Madrid – Barcelona: The line was extended from Lleida to Roda de Bará on 19 December 2006. The final section to Barcelona Sants was due to be opened by prime minister Zapatero on 21 December 2007 but construction is well behind schedule and the line will not be ready for many months yet. |
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Córdoba – Malaga: The Córdoba – Antequera Santa Ana - Bobadilla line was opened on 17 December 2006. The Antequera Santa Ana - Malaga section was due to be opened by prime minister Zapatero on 23 December 2007 but problems with a tunnel mean that the line will not be ready in time. The final 2km into Málaga will be underground, replacing the existing main line in its entirety. |
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The [Madrid -] Alameda de La Sagra - Toledo branch opened on 15 November 2005. |
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Madrid – Segovia – Valladolid: This is due to be opened by prime minister Zapatero on 22 December 2007. However, scheduled services may not start on that date and opening is being 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. The line runs northwards via Colmenar Viejo before swinging west, and does not parallel the existing main line via Villalba de Guadarrama. A branch to Medina del Campo may open later. |
Work is now in progress on a number of further lines (planned year of opening in parentheses):
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A curve providing a direct link between the Sevilla and Zaragoza lines outside Madrid Atocha. Although this was expected to open in the first half of 2007, no track had been laid as at May 2007 and it is understood that priority is being given to the 3 new lines listed above. |
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Barcelona across the French border to Perpignan (2009), with mixed freight and passenger use. However, no work has started on the section near Barcelona and only part of the line may open. |
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Burgos by-pass (San Mames - Rubena) with a new passenger station north of Burgos replacing the existing station in the city. This was supposed to open in 2007 but is now postponed to 2008. |
There are plans for other new lines:
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Madrid - Cuenca - Valencia/Albacete. |
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Burgos to both Bilbao and Irun (2010). |
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Madrid - Caceres - Merida - Badajoz (- Lisboa) (2010, although this seems unlikely). |
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A third cross-city tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín to link the existing AVE lines north and south of Madrid. |
Other main lines:
Double-tracking or re-alignment or both has been undertaken or is being carried out on many other lines, in order to reduce journey times. This includes FEVE as well as RENFE routes.
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Zaragoza - Teruel. |
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Vigo - A Coruña "Eje Atlantico". A Coruña - Santiago de Compostela is the section most affected at the moment. |
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León-Asturias high speed line: La Robla - Pola de Lena (- Oviedo) including the Pajares tunnels (presumably 1668 mm gauge). The existing steeply graded and extremely circuitous line will apparently be retained for freight traffic. However, in May 2007 it appeared that work had only just started on this major project. |
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Sevilla - Cádiz. Doubling between Jerez de La Frontera and Cadiz Cortadura is taking place at many locations. An elevated section avoiding El Portal station was nearing completion in March 2007, with wiring in progress. |
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Sevilla - Bobadilla - Granada. A new alignment, well to the south of the existing line, is under construction from west of Osuna to the cut-off leading to Fuente de Piedra. A major rebuilding of the line on to Granada is planned. |
Cercanías and local lines:
A new broad-gauge tunnel for Cercanías services is under construction between Madrid Atocha and Madrid Chamartin, with a target opening date of 2008.
The surviving Castillejo-Añover - Algodor section of the former broad gauge branch to Toledo closed in November 2005 on the opening of the AVE service.
A new alignment between Huesca and Plasencia del Monte, bypassing 8 level crossings and also providing a Huesca avoiding curve, was planned to open in 2007 but work is progressing only very slowly.
The new underground Plaza de España station in Palma city centre, the largest metre gauge station in Europe, opened in early March 2007. At present only four of the planned ten platforms are in use.
Funding has apparently been approved for the Silla - Gandia branch to be extended to Denia, connecting there with the FGV line to Alacant.
The last train on Valencia Cercanias line C4 to Quart de Poblet ran on 5 October 2007, with the line closing to all traffic. The service was effectively replaced by the L5 Metro service which opened in spring 2007.
Lines with a limited future:
A number of lines have had passenger services severely pruned, and some lines may close.
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Torralba – Soria: the threat to this line may have receded with the commitment that all provincial capitals will retain a rail connection to Madrid. There are somewhat nebulous plans to reopen the closed Soria - Calatayud line to provide a connection to AVE services (and also for freight); in this case, the branch from Torralba would almost certainly close. |
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Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos: this line, now carrying only one Talgo train a day each way and with freight only at Aranda, was closed suddenly on 14 October 2006 for safety reasons following the theft of 8km of signalling cable, and the Talgos diverted via Valladolid. Following a further such theft on 8 November, ADIF announced that the diversion would continue indefinitely. However, the line was used for diverted overnight trains on 9/10 December and was reopened for normal traffic on 12 December 2006 after 59 days without services. Owing to the absence of signalling, only one train is allowed between Colmenar Viejo and Burgos at any time. It has been under threat for some years and will probably close when the Madrid - Valladolid high speed line opens in December 2007, if not before. However, the reduced capacity available at Valladolid as a result of AVE works (see Madrid – Segovia – Valladolid above) has reduced substantially the chances of an unscheduled diversion by that route. RENFE has committed to keep the line open for “a period of 3 months after 12 September 2007” and the capacity constraints at Valladolid may even result in the line surviving into 2008. It has been the subject of a study to evaluate its refurbishment for use as a high capacity freight line, but this now seems extremely unlikely. However, Cercanias services might possibly be extended north of Colmenar Viejo in the future as Madrid commuters move further out. |
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Huelva - Zafra: owing to the poor condition of the track, this line was quite often bus substituted over the whole or part of the route during 2006. The situation improved in 2007 and ADIF is inviting tenders for complete relaying of the section north of Fregenal de Sierra, although there is still the danger that it could be closed altogether. |
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Cercedilla - Segovia: the slow Regionales service over the section beyond this interchange for the narrow gauge line to Los Cotos is threatened by the new Segovia ‘parkway’ type station with multiple turnback sidings being provided on the yet to be opened AVE line to Vallodolid. |
Maps: There is no generally-available printed map of the RENFE system apart from that included in M.G. Ball's "European Railway Atlas". However, a good map is provided on the “Trainspotting Bükkes” website. See bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_iberian-peninsula.php.
Last complete update: 29 December 2006. Subsequent amendments: "Recent and Future Changes" amended (1 April 2007); "Other railways" (FGC), "Recent and future changes" (AVE) and "Lines with a limited future" (Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos) amended (28 May 2007); "Recent and future changes" (Other main lines) amended (2 June 2007); "Recent and future changes" (AVE, Cercanías and local lines, Lines with a limited future) amended (12 December 2007).
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