Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe

SPAIN (España)

General Information

Last update for this page: 23 January 2009.

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:

• Cercanías - Suburban services around main towns and cities
• Regionales - Interurban local services
• Grandes Lineas - Long distance
• AVE - High speed trains using the Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid/Medina del Campo, Madrid - Sevilla/Malaga, Madrid - Zaragoza - Lleida - Barcelona, Madrid - Zaragoza - Huesca and Madrid - Toledo 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 or Iruña, which should not be confused with the border town, Irún.

Currency: Euro

UIC code: numeric 71, alpha E

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 have almost certainly been withdrawn - even for staff use - in favour of computerised data. The RENFE website www.renfe.es/horarios/english/index.html will initially offer train times only for direct services; when none (or very few) are found, accompanied by the text "Para buscar trenes con transbordo seleccione fecha de viaje", insert a specific date and click the "Buscar Transbordo" 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/Malaga/Toledo, Madrid and Valladolid and Madrid and Barcelona/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) as follows:

Electrification: The standard RENFE system is 3000 V dc. The AVE lines are 25 kV 50 Hz, and Cercedilla to Los Cotos is 1500 V dc.

Rule of the road: Generally right-hand running. Broad-gauge routes of the former FC del Norte, north and west of Madrid, are left-hand running.

Other railways:

• Eusko Tren (Eusko Trenbideak, Ferrocarriles Vascos): Bilbao - Donostia [San Sebastían] - Hendaia [Hendaye]; Bilbao Deustu - Lezama; Amorebieta - Bermeo. 1000 mm gauge, 1500V dc.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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 - Creueta (1000 mm gauge, 750V dc) and El Creueta - Benidorm - Denia (electrification at 1500V dc in progress from Creueta, 1000 mm gauge).
• Ferrocarril de Palma de Mallorca a Sóller: Palma - Sóller. 914 mm gauge. Electrified at 1200V dc.
• Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM): Palma - Sa Pobla and Manacor (1000 mm gauge).

• Azpeitia - Lasao (operated in connection with the Basque Railway Museum at Azpeitia)
• Museo Minero y Ferroviario: 11km of the former Rio Tinto mineral system; Talleres Mina - Los Frailes, north of Huelva; 1067mm gauge
• CIFVM Museo del Tren: La Poveda - La Laguna del Campillo, in the suburbs south east of Madrid

Metro: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Palma.

Trams: Alacant, A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao, Sóller, Valencia, Vitoria/Gasteiz.

Special notes:

RENFE operates a confusingly wide range of train types, and special fares apply on those that are fastest or offer superior facilities.

• AVE (originally meaning Alta Velocidad Española): High speed trains operating over the 1435 mm gauge lines: Madrid - Córdoba - Sevilla, Madrid - Zaragoza - Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona, Madrid - Zaragoza - Huesca, Madrid - Córdoba - Málaga, Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid.
• Euromed: High speed train between Barcelona, Valencia and Alacant.
• Talgo: Express train using articulated, light weight carriages. Some sets can change their gauge and/or operate on high-speed lines. Where technically identical, they differ from Altaria services by lower on-board service and comfort level.
• Alaris: Tilting trains on the Madrid - Valencia and Barcelona - Valencia routes.
• Altaria: High speed loco hauled Talgo200 trains between Madrid and Algeciras, Cádiz, Granada and Huelva, which operate on both 1668 and 1435 mm gauge lines.Refurbished Talgo stock is used between Madrid and Cartagena. Where technically identical, they differ from Talgo services by higher on-board service and comfort level.
• Arco and Diurno: Other long-distance, day trains.
• Avant: High speed trains operating over shorter distances on the 1435 mm gauge high speed lines: Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid, Madrid - Toledo, Madrid - Puertollano, Calatayud - Zaragoza - Huesca, Barcelona - Lleida, Málaga - Córdoba -Sevilla.
• Alvia: High speed trains which operate on both 1668 and 1435 mm gauge lines on the following routes: Alacant - Madrid - Gijón, Alacant - Madrid - Santander, Madrid - Valladolid - Bilbao, Madrid - San Sebastián - Irún, Madrid - Guadalajara - Irún, Madrid - Guadalajara - Logroño, Barcelona - Zaragoza - Vigo. Barcelona - Zaragoza - Irún, Barcelona - Zaragoza - Bilbao.
• Estrella: Overnight trains.
• Trenhotel: Overnight trains with additional facilities, such as showers. Trenhotel services to, from and via France are shown as Euronight in some timetables.
• Euronight: International overnight trains.
• Tren Regional Diesel (TRD) and R-598: Longer distance local trains.
• Regional Exprés: Interurban local train. In some areas these have a local identity, for example Andalucía Exprés.
• Regional: Rural local train.
• 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. 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.

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:

• go to www.renfe.es/productos/index_visa.html and click "Puntos de Venta Internacional",
• select a country from the drop down list ("Seleccione un pais") under "Puntos de Venta en el Mundo". 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.

Tickets can be purchased through the RENFE website, but only between 07:00 and 22:00 CET: go to https://w1.renfe.es/vbi/indexu.html select the desired operation and follow the instructions. Note that users must register as a customer the first time that they visit the Ticket Sales System. Overnight trains to, from and via France cannot be booked via RENFE; use www.elipsos.com instead.

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, the minimum connectional time generally recognised is 60 minutes.

Airport style luggage security checks using X-ray machines are made for nearly all main line services.

Recent changes

2009

• 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. Overnight trains were converted to Trenhotel format ran this way from 26 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.

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. However, it no longer circumvented Madrid via the goods lines to the east, taking instead the direct line between Atocha and Chamartín.
• 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 2008 until 18 November 2008.
• The Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos line closed for engineering work on 27 August and was expected to reopen on12 November 2008.However, the delay in opening the Variante de Burgos has caused postponement of the reopening until early 2009.
• 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 was entered commercial service on 23 December. It consists of a shared central section with branches to Lakua and Abetxuko.
• The Burgos by-pass (San Mames - Rubena) with a new passenger station of Burgos Rosa de Lima, north of the city, opened on 15 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.

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 is planned to open in 2011.
• Córdoba - Malaga: 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.

2006

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

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.

Future changes

Work is now in progress on a number of further lines (planned year of opening in parentheses):

• Barcelona across the French border to Perpignan (end of 2009), with mixed freight and passenger use. However, no work has started on the section near Barcelona and only the Figueres – Perpignan part of the line is expected to open.
• Madrid - Cuenca - Valencia/Albacete (2010).

There are plans for other new lines:

• Work on the Valladolid - Burgos high speed line is expected to start in 2009.
• Burgos to both Bilbao and Irun (2010, but probably delayed).
• Madrid - Caceres - Merida - Badajoz (- Lisboa) (2010, although this seems unlikely).
• ADIF has been authorised to start tendering for the third, standard gauge cross-city tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín to link the existing AVE lines north and south of Madrid.
• In October 2008 tenders were invited for construction of the first section of the 186 km long Almería - Murcia high speed line.

Double-tracking or re-alignment or both has been undertaken or is being carried out on many 1668 mm gauge lines, in order to reduce journey times. This includes FEVE as well as RENFE routes.

• Zaragoza - Teruel.
• Vigo - A Coruña "Eje Atlantico". Work is effectively complete on the A Coruña - Santiago de Compostela section, with a major new deviation opened in 2008 near Villagarcia. Work has now started on the Pontevedra - Vigo section.
• León-Asturias high speed line: La Robla - Pola de Lena (- Oviedo) including the Pajares tunnels. 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.
• Sevilla - Cádiz. Doubling between Jerez de La Frontera and Cadiz Cortadura is taking place at many locations.
• Sevilla - Bobadilla - Granada. A new alignment 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.
• Funding was apparently approved for the Silla - Gandia branch to be extended to Denia, connecting there with the FGV line to Alacant. However this has now been revoked and the situation remains unclear.
• Work is to start on renovation of the Canfranc line between Jaca and Caldearenas, lasting for 18 months.
• There are plans to divert the main line through Valladolid into a tunnel with a new underground station and to build a 1668 mm freight bypass to the east.
• There are plans to divert the line through Logroño into a tunnel.
• There are plans for a new station on the outskirts of Huelva which may involve closure of the present station.
• There are plans to divert the line through both Palencia and León into a tunnel with new underground stations in each town.

Forthcoming timetable changes:

• The remaining classic Barcelona - Bilbao and Barcelona - Irún (- Hendaye) daytime services are expected to be diverted via the high speed line to Zaragoza around 1 April 2009.

Lines with a limited future:

A number of lines have had passenger services severely pruned, and some lines may close.

• Torralba - Soria: the threat to this line has probably receded with the commitment that all provincial capitals will retain a rail connection to Madrid. It was closed for relaying frm 18 August to 18 November 2008. 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.
• Colmenar Viejo - Aranda de Duero - Burgos: this line, now carrying only one Talgo train a day each way and no longer with any freight traffic, 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 was expected to close when the Madrid - Valladolid high speed line opened. However, ADIF has now committed funds for engineering work and the line closed on 27 August 2008 for construction of a new 4km link "Enlace Aranda" at the north end from Villacienzo to the Burgos by-pass at Villalbilla. The line is expected to reopen in January 2009. It has been the subject of a study to evaluate its refurbishment for use as a high capacity freight line, and this seemed extremely unlikely but the project may now be revived owing to lack of capacity on the line via Avila. Cercanias services might possibly be extended north of Colmenar Viejo in the future as Madrid commuters move further out.
• 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.
• Cercedilla - Segovia: the slow Regionales service over the section beyond this interchange for the narrow gauge line to Los Cotos is threatened by Avant services to the new Segovia Guiomar station on the high speed line to Vallodolid. Indeed, the service beyond Cercedilla was drastically reduced on 16 November 2008.

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. A larger PDF file (16 MB) map (dated 2007) is available on this link: http://www.anuario-ffe.com/PDF/cartog_red_espanola.pdf. There are also useful maps on ADIF's “network statement” PDF file (www.adif.es).

Last complete update: 30 August 2008. Subsequent amendments: general update 23 January 2009.

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