Narrow gauge railways in Spain
In Spain there is an extensive 1,250 km (780 mi) system of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge railways. The majority of these railways was historically operated by FEVE, (Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha, Spanish narrow gauge railways). Created in 1965 FEVE started absorbing numerous private-owned narrow gauge railways. From 1978 onwards, with the introduction of regionalisation devolution under the new Spanish constitution, FEVE began transferring responsibility for a number of its operations to the new regional governments. On 31 December 2012 the company disappeared due to the merger of the narrow gauge network FEVE and the broad gauge network RENFE.
Northern Spain
In the north of the country, operated by RENFE and EuskoTren (Eusko Trenbideak, Basque Railways). At the centre of this system is a metre gauge line which runs for 650 km (404 mi) along the entire length of Spain's north coast.
EuskoTren is the Basque regional government rail company. This company also owns several bus lines.
The Euskotren Tranbia in Bilbao is a network of tramway and light rail systems.
Metro Bilbao started in 1995 on EuskoTren track and has a metre gauge. The Renfe metre gauge network in Northern Spain and EuskoTren form the longest narrow gauge network in Europe.
Andalusia
- FC Granada a Sierra Nevada; 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, 21,7 km, 1925-1974
Castile-La Mancha
- FC Valdepenas a Puertollano; 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, 78 km, 1924-1963
Catalonia
Barcelona
- FGC (Catalan regional government railways), Metro del Baix Llobregat, Llobregat–Anoia line
- Funicular de Vallvidrera
- Funicular del Tibidabo
Gelida
Girona
- FC de Flassa a Palamos, Gerona y Banolas; 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, 63 km, 1892-1969
- FC de San Feliu de Guixois a Gerona; 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, 42 km, 1887-1956
Montserrat
- Funicular de Sant Joan
- Funicular de la Santa Cova at Montserrat
- Cremallera de Montserrat, a rack railway.
Northern Catalonia
- Cremallera de Núria, a rack railway.
- Ferrocarril Turístic de l'Alt Llobregat, a 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge tourist line.
Valencian Community
- FGV (Valencian regional government railways) around the city of Valencia, as well as along the Costa Blanca from Alicante to Denia
Castellón
- FC de Onda al Grao de Castellon y Villareal-Puerto de Burriana; 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, 43 km, 1888-1963
Madrid
- Near Madrid, on the mountain range of Guadarrama runs a mountain train through a short but extremely sinuous track, operated by Renfe.
Majorca
- SFM (Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca); 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
- FS (Ferrocarril de Sóller) operates a 3 ft (914 mm) gauge electrified railway and connecting tramway, the Tranvía de Sóller.
- Palma Metro; 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
See also
References
- Organ, John (2009). Eastern Spain Narrow Gauge: from Gerona to Málaga. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781906008567.
- Organ, John (2010). Northern Spain Narrow Gauge: Irún to El Ferrol. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781906008833.
- Organ, John (2011). Central and Southern Spain Narrow Gauge: Castile to Huelva. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781906008918.
- Organ, John (2014). Majorca and Corsica Narrow Gauge. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines series. Midhurst, West Sussex, UK: Middleton Press. ISBN 9781908174413.
External links
Media related to Narrow gauge railways in Spain at Wikimedia Commons
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