photo: Wikipedia / Pechristener-CC BY-SA 3.0; hugh llewelyn-CC BY-SA 2.0/Locomotive 6046 and AVE train Talgo 350
Spain's railways fell behind due to political instability after 1815 and the civil wars that followed. The first railway was paradoxically built in Cuba in 1838, while the first on the continent was not built until 1848. After 1975, democratization and European integration led to a renaissance of the railways, culminating in the creation of the most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe.
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The history of railways in Spain begins a few years later than in neighboring countries. To understand why, we must look back a few years. After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815, the Bourbons were restored to the Spanish throne, having been overthrown by Napoleon at the turn of the century. The new king, Ferdinand VII, refused to accept a role as a constitutional monarch and ruled as an absolute monarch. This led to a civil war that exhausted agrarian, mountainous Spain. After the king died in 1833, his 3-year-old daughter Isabella II was to ascend the throne. Her succession was contested, leading to the First Carlist War. The war ended with Isabella II being declared the rightful queen upon reaching adulthood in 1843.
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It is understandable that during the war, no one in Spain was thinking about building railways. The first Spanish railway was paradoxically not in Europe but in Cuba, which was part of the Spanish Empire in the mid-19th century. Specifically, in 1838, a railway was inaugurated between Havana and Güines. The first railway on the Spanish mainland opened in 1848, over ten years later than in neighboring countries, running between Barcelona and the town of Mataró, about 30 km away. Railway construction progressed slowly until 1855 when a railway law was passed. This significantly accelerated the construction of the railway network. By 1863, there was a connection from the French-Spanish border to the Portuguese border.
One of the most significant decisions in the history of Spanish railways was the choice of track gauge. Spain chose a gauge of 1,672 mm instead of the standard 1,435 mm used by most European countries. This decision was likely influenced by the desire to differentiate from France and prevent the use of French railway equipment in case of an invasion. Ironically, this choice would economically disadvantage Spain due to incompatibility with the French gauge. Portugal chose a gauge of 1,664 mm, also different. The gauges were unified in 1955 with the creation of the Iberian gauge of 1,668 mm.
The foundation of Spain's railway network was completed in the 1870s, but it was not as extensive as in other major European countries. Its lower quality was mainly due to Spain's weaker economy and relatively slow development as a conservative Catholic country. The network continued to develop slowly, and thanks to its geographical location and neutrality, Spanish railways were hardly affected by either World War I or World War II.
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What the world wars spared, the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 ravaged. Both sides in the conflict, the Nationalists and Republicans, considered the railways strategic and targeted each other's railway hubs. They received technical support from foreign allies: the Nationalists from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, the Republicans from the Soviet Union and international volunteer brigades. The democratic powers of France and Britain pursued a policy of non-intervention.
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After the civil war, the dictatorship of Francisco Franco took power. While his regime cost many lives, it partially revived Spain's economy, which was devastated by the civil war. Part of the economic revival involved repairing the railway network, which had been nationalized. In 1941, RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles – National Network of Spanish Railways) was established. The repair was not accompanied by modernization, and by the time Franco's dictatorship ended peacefully in 1975, Spain's railway network was very slow and outdated compared to other Western European networks.
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1975 was also the year the last steam locomotive was retired from regular service in Spain. With the advent of democracy, Spain experienced a renaissance and rapid development upon joining the European Economic Community. Part of this transformation involved decentralizing Spain, transferring ownership of many regional lines to local regions, which could establish their own railway companies.
In the late 1980s, Spain sought to improve efficiency by closing many minor lines that were not economically viable. In 2003, in compliance with European Union requirements, ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias) was established to manage infrastructure, while Renfe (Renfe Operadora) was responsible for train operations.
A crucial part of modernizing Spain's railway network was building high-speed rail lines (HSR). This required significant investment, partly funded by the EU. HSR lines were built with the standard 1,435 mm gauge, allowing trains to reach speeds of up to 310 km/h. The AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) service was created by Renfe to operate these lines. The first HSR line in Spain connected Madrid and Seville. The network was developed with Madrid as the central hub, expanding in all directions, including a cross-border link to France via the 8.3 km long Perthus Tunnel under the Pyrenees. Over time, Spain built the largest HSR network in Europe, with over 3,400 km of track, second only to China's network.
Spain has ambitious plans for its HSR network. By the end of 2011, the HSR line to Santiago de Compostela was completed. Future plans include completing the HSR network, increasing speeds on conventional lines to 200 km/h, and projects like the Basque Y, connecting Bilbao and San Sebastian, which will then connect to Madrid. Improvements to the Madrid hub and a high-speed connection to Portugal are also planned. One of the latest projects is the construction of the first hydrogen-electric hybrid train, which could reach speeds of up to 250 km/h.
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Source: Gaugemaster; Hydrogen Insight; Britannica