Population: 46,302 million inhabitants – Administrative language: Spanish. However, due to the existence of autonomous communities with co-official languages such as Catalan, Galician and Basque, the administration may also use these languages in certain contexts within these regions.
Political capital: Madrid
Political system: Spain is a constitutional monarchy. The Spanish Parliament is bicameral (Congress + Senate) and is the main legislative body. The country is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla) which enjoy a high degree of political autonomy.
A member of the European Union (1986), the Schengen area (1995) and the euro zone (2002).
Brief rail characteristics:
• UIC code : 71
• Main track gauge: 1,668mm + 1,435mm on high speed network
• Main electrification: 3kV DC, 25kV AC
• High Speed > V250 : yes
Rail transport
• History of rail in Spain
• Details of institutional organisation
• Spanish rail news highlights
Notified bodies
• Regulation : Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
• Security : Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Ferroviaria (AESF)
Public transport
• National / local and regional authorities
The 10 top ranking cities:
• Madrid, Barcelone, Valence, Séville, Saragosse, Malaga, Murcia, Palma de Majorque, Las Palmas de Grand Canaria, Bilbao
Organisation of rail transport in Spain
Manager of the main railway network
ADIF (Administrador de infraestructuras ferroviarias) since 1 January 2005.
Main historical railway company
Renfe (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) since 1941. Became Renfe Operadora on 1 January 2005 following the split with infrastructure, which became a separate entity called ADIF.
Liberalisation (depends on the legal scope given to it)
International passenger traffic: very limited today, with a few TGV/AVE trains between Barcelona and France. No trains with Portugal.
National mainline passenger traffic: Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo España.
National regional and local passenger traffic: Renfe for the most part, Rodalies (Catalonia) and some regional operators (Euskotren in the Basque country).
Freight traffic: Renfe Mercancías and some independent operators.
Mainline and international train services
Non-subsidised mainline trains: Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo España
Subsidised mainline trains: certain medium-distance services managed by Renfe.
Alternative mainline operators
Iryo, Ouigo España
Local / regional train services
Subsidised regional and local trains: Renfe for the most part, Rodalies (Catalonia) and some regional operators (Euskotren in the Basque Country).
Other local and regional operators
Mostly Renfe, Rodalies (Catalonia) and some regional operators (Euskotren in the Basque Country).
Freight train services
• Renfe Mercancías dominant.
• Some private rail freight operators.
Alternative rail freight operators
Some private rail freight operators.
Bus / lightrail / metro
The regions are responsible for programming, planning and supervising their public transport, as are the major cities.
Glossary of rail transport in Spain
Infrastructure
◼ Main network manager:
• ADIF
• ADIF-Alta Velocidad
• 15.652km of lines
◼ Others secondary network managers:
• —
◼ Passenger stations :
• 1.496
◼ Companies registered:
• —
◼ Main issues:
• High speed line
• Signalling & ETCS
Rolling stock:
◼ Authorized vehicles:
• Electric vehicles
• Autonomous vehicles
• Emu
• Dmu
• Railway cars
• Freight wagons
• Others
◼ Suppliers:
• History of the industry
• Industry today
Passenger services:
◼ Incumbent:
• Renfe Operadora
• National traffic yesterday
• Intercity concept
• Transports today
• High speed rail
• Crossborder traffic
◼ international trafic :
• Traffic organisation
◼ Stations:
• 1.496
• History & Heritage
◼ Flow analysis:
• Main lines / local lines
• Modal shares & Economy
Freight services
◼ Industry sectors:
• Steel
• Chemical
• Intermodal
• Wood / Paper
• Others
◼ Operators:
• Renfe Mercancías
• Others
◼ Spanish operations abroad:
• …
◼ Infrastructure :
• little freight stations
• Marshalling yards
• Main north-south routes
• Ports
◼ Flow analysis:
• Main freight lines
• Modal share & Economy