Spain - Older General Information

Introduction

This document acts as an archive for Recent and Future Changes prior to the December 2008 timetable change.

Changes 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 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.

Changes in 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.

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.

See also

• Spain
• Spain - General Information
• Spain - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services