Rail transport in Spain

  Spain
High-speed AVE train, Madrid-Barcelona line.
Operation
National railwayRenfe
Infrastructure companyAdif
Major operatorsRenfe, Feve, Euskotren, FGC, FGV
Statistics
RidershipIncrease 654 million (2023)[1]
System length
Total16,026 km (9,958 mi)
Electrified10,182 km (6,327 mi)
Track gauge
Broad gauge
1,668 mm (5 ft 5+2132 in)
11,829 km (7,350 mi)
Standard gauge
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
3,100 km (1,900 mi)
Metre gauge
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in)
1,926 km (1,197 mi)
Narrow gauge
914 mm (3 ft)
28 km (17 mi)
Electrification
3000 V DCMain network
25 kV ACHigh-speed lines, recent electrification
Features
Longest tunnelSierra de Guadarrama, 28.4 km (17.6 mi)
Map
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Rail transport in Spain operates on four rail gauges and services are operated by a variety of private and public operators. Total railway length in 2020 was 15,489 km (9,953 km electrified).[2] The Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest HSR network in Europe with 3,966 km (2,464 mi) and the second longest in the world, after China's.[3][4]

Most railways are operated by Renfe; metre and narrow-gauge lines are operated by the Renfe Cercanías AM division. Local publicly-owned operators include Euskotren in the Basque Country, FGC in Catalonia and Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. Private railway operators include Ouigo and Iryo.

It is proposed and planned to build or convert more lines to standard gauge,[5] including some dual gauging of broad-gauge lines, especially where these lines link to France, including platforms to be raised.

Spain is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Spain is 71.

  1. ^ "Rail Transport Statistics". ine.es. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Railways - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  3. ^ "Red de Alta Velocidad". Adif. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. ^ Ramírez, María (2023-10-11). "Spain's high-speed trains aren't just efficient, they have transformed people's lives". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  5. ^ "Verkehrsrundschau, 2007-04-30". Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2010-08-21.