Cercanias- what are they?
Cercanías are the suburban trains that serve commuters in the big cities. They usually share their main station with the main RENFE station, though their smaller stops differ from those of RENFE.
Timetables.
If you plan on traveling by train to towns and cities near to the city you're staying in, you may well need to use the Cercanía. Unfortunately, the main RENFE site doesn't offer the timetables, so you'll have to click on the links below to find your train.
Important Cercanías Tourist Routes in Andalucia
Cercanía mainly serve residential districts of the bigger cities, though some important tourist routes use these trains. In Malaga, there are a couple of line that serve the main Costa del Sol towns and inland to Alora. Tickets for these trains can be bought from machines in the train stations, thus avoiding long lines at the ticket office.
Cercanías Networks in Detail
As the main RENFE site doesn't show you Cercanías routes in its timetables, you'll have to visit each site individually. Unfortunately, the sites are only in Spanish 'Horario' means 'Timetable', 'Precios' means 'Prices' and 'Plano' means 'Route map'.
•Cercanías in Madrid
•Cercanías in Barcelona
•Cercanías in Seville
•Cercanías in Valencia
•Cercanías in Málaga
•Cercanías in Bilbao
•Cercanías in Asturias
•Cercanías in Cádiz
•Cercanías in Murcia and Alicante
•Cercanías in Santander
•Cercanías in San Sebastian
www.andaluciandreams.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Visit to Estacion de la Indian Railway Station
Visit to Estacion de la Indiana
I recently had the opportunity to visit the site of the closed railway station of Estacion de la Indiana on the Granada to Algerciras railway line. Estacion de la Indiana is located 10 km from Ronda, in Malaga Province, Andalusia. You approach the station on a narrow unclassified road off the main A376 Ronda to Jerez road via the hamlet of the same name passing 10 -12 houses and a venta.
The station site was still in a tidy condition although the site was deserted at the time of my visit, it consisted of the still occupied station house, the station buildings in decent condition, a new building housing a maintenance base and the old goods shed that was looking decidedly run down. Two old water towers and some of the old signaling remain. The station track layout consists of a passing loop and two sidings (empty with no evidence of recent activity). There are currently three passenger trains a day in each direction and regular freight trains to and from the Algeciras area.
In the future when the line form Bobbadilla to Algerciras is modernized as part of the AVE high speed trains network. Estaction de la Indiana may be developed as the main railway station for the Ronda area in a similar manor to the new AVE station at Colonia de Santa Maria for Antequera. At the moment the present route contains a long dog leg via Arriate. To overcome this it will need the construction of a new section of railway bypassing Ronda town centre station to allow AVE trains to run on a shorter more direct route.
It is always sad to visit a railway facility that is unused although the railway atmosphere is still much in evidence. If the plans work out it will be nice once again catch a train from the station.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the site of the closed railway station of Estacion de la Indiana on the Granada to Algerciras railway line. Estacion de la Indiana is located 10 km from Ronda, in Malaga Province, Andalusia. You approach the station on a narrow unclassified road off the main A376 Ronda to Jerez road via the hamlet of the same name passing 10 -12 houses and a venta.
The station site was still in a tidy condition although the site was deserted at the time of my visit, it consisted of the still occupied station house, the station buildings in decent condition, a new building housing a maintenance base and the old goods shed that was looking decidedly run down. Two old water towers and some of the old signaling remain. The station track layout consists of a passing loop and two sidings (empty with no evidence of recent activity). There are currently three passenger trains a day in each direction and regular freight trains to and from the Algeciras area.
In the future when the line form Bobbadilla to Algerciras is modernized as part of the AVE high speed trains network. Estaction de la Indiana may be developed as the main railway station for the Ronda area in a similar manor to the new AVE station at Colonia de Santa Maria for Antequera. At the moment the present route contains a long dog leg via Arriate. To overcome this it will need the construction of a new section of railway bypassing Ronda town centre station to allow AVE trains to run on a shorter more direct route.
It is always sad to visit a railway facility that is unused although the railway atmosphere is still much in evidence. If the plans work out it will be nice once again catch a train from the station.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Ride on the Costa del Sol Railway
Enjoyable Ride on the Costa del Sol Coastal Railway
The Costa del Sol coastal railway runs from the city of Malaga down the coast through Torremolinos, Benalmadena and terminates at Fuengirola. My wife and I recently went for a return journey from Carvaial (Two stops out of Fuengirola) to Malaga City.
The line serves a very busy built up costal area including commercial developments, holiday complexes and housing. Carvaial station like those on the rest of the line as been modernized and is kept in good condition. You buy your tickets from a machine that is multi lingual and easy to use. The fares are cheap and there is a train every half hour throughout the day.
The line itself is electrified and serves some 20 stations and is extremely busy. You can get many good views from the train including sea view. It is nice to see a different view of the Costa del Sol than the one you get used to from a car. As you travel into the City of Malaga you can see evidence of work on the new Malaga Metro You can also see the new high speed line and old line from the north trailing in on the left hand side. The new standard gauge high speed line is served by AVE trains to Madrid and Barcelona. The old line has a local service to Alora.
The newly rebuilt main station in Malaga is an impressive complex with many shops and entertainment venues. The railway facilities are first class and give passengers a very favorable impression of Malaga. We spent an hour looking round the station and had nice tapas at one of the many eating establishments in the new station. Our train on the return journey was packed with people standing. At each station those passengers who left were replaces by more who joined the train. It was only when we reached Benalmadena that everyone found a seat.
The old EMUs on the line are due to be replaced later in the year by new civia units. Plans to extend the line are in hand to extend the line in the short term to San Pedro de la Alcantara and eventually all the way to Algeciras. I would recommend that anyone visiting the Costa del Sol make at least one journey on the line for the views and that it is quite possible to organize a number of days out to various places served by the line as a very cheap alternative to using a car in what is at times an extremely congested road network.
See also www.andaluciadreams.blogspot.com
The Costa del Sol coastal railway runs from the city of Malaga down the coast through Torremolinos, Benalmadena and terminates at Fuengirola. My wife and I recently went for a return journey from Carvaial (Two stops out of Fuengirola) to Malaga City.
The line serves a very busy built up costal area including commercial developments, holiday complexes and housing. Carvaial station like those on the rest of the line as been modernized and is kept in good condition. You buy your tickets from a machine that is multi lingual and easy to use. The fares are cheap and there is a train every half hour throughout the day.
The line itself is electrified and serves some 20 stations and is extremely busy. You can get many good views from the train including sea view. It is nice to see a different view of the Costa del Sol than the one you get used to from a car. As you travel into the City of Malaga you can see evidence of work on the new Malaga Metro You can also see the new high speed line and old line from the north trailing in on the left hand side. The new standard gauge high speed line is served by AVE trains to Madrid and Barcelona. The old line has a local service to Alora.
The newly rebuilt main station in Malaga is an impressive complex with many shops and entertainment venues. The railway facilities are first class and give passengers a very favorable impression of Malaga. We spent an hour looking round the station and had nice tapas at one of the many eating establishments in the new station. Our train on the return journey was packed with people standing. At each station those passengers who left were replaces by more who joined the train. It was only when we reached Benalmadena that everyone found a seat.
The old EMUs on the line are due to be replaced later in the year by new civia units. Plans to extend the line are in hand to extend the line in the short term to San Pedro de la Alcantara and eventually all the way to Algeciras. I would recommend that anyone visiting the Costa del Sol make at least one journey on the line for the views and that it is quite possible to organize a number of days out to various places served by the line as a very cheap alternative to using a car in what is at times an extremely congested road network.
See also www.andaluciadreams.blogspot.com
Extremadura - Madrid Trains To Speed Up
Faster to Extremadura
Tenders are to be called in the last quarter of this year for the construction of a gauge-changing facility at Brazatortas-Veredas, enabling trains from Mérida and Badajoz to use the high speed line from Córdoba to reach Madrid.
The work is expected to take 10 months to complete within a budget of €10m, and should cut the fastest journey time between Madrid and Badajoz from 5 h 30 min to around 3 h 50 min.
As work progresses on building a high speed to Badajoz, where the alignment between Mérida and Badajoz is now over 70% complete, ADIF is to invest €77m in the conventional route between Madrid and Badajoz as part of the government programme to revive the railfreight sector. Track renewals scheduled for next year include the 93 km between Brazatortas and Cabeza del Buey at a cost of €55m, as well as the 31 km Cabeza del Buey – Castuera section where work is expected to cost €18m.l
Tenders are to be called in the last quarter of this year for the construction of a gauge-changing facility at Brazatortas-Veredas, enabling trains from Mérida and Badajoz to use the high speed line from Córdoba to reach Madrid.
The work is expected to take 10 months to complete within a budget of €10m, and should cut the fastest journey time between Madrid and Badajoz from 5 h 30 min to around 3 h 50 min.
As work progresses on building a high speed to Badajoz, where the alignment between Mérida and Badajoz is now over 70% complete, ADIF is to invest €77m in the conventional route between Madrid and Badajoz as part of the government programme to revive the railfreight sector. Track renewals scheduled for next year include the 93 km between Brazatortas and Cabeza del Buey at a cost of €55m, as well as the 31 km Cabeza del Buey – Castuera section where work is expected to cost €18m.l
Saturday, August 15, 2009
New Use for Old Railway - Cycle Track
The old disused Malaga to Cartama railway line could be converted into a new green cycle way. The planned route would be over 24 km long.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
2 AVE Stations for Antequera
The Andalucian area of Antequera will soon have two AVE high-speed train stations. The first one was opened at Colonia de Santa, some 18 km from the town centre on the new Cordoba – Malaga AVE line. The high-speed train line between Sevilla and Granada will cross the Cordoba – Malaga line at Colonia de Santa Maria. This line will have a train station in the urban area of Antequera, which currently as one conventional station train station at Bobadilla Estacion. Antequera will also have high speed trains to Ronda and Algeciras.
The Junta de Andalucia also invited tenders for two of the most complex railway sections between Anteqera and Savilla. The Public Works and Transport councilor, Rosa Aguilar, said that the high-speed line is now 60% complete. She remarked that the Junta has invested 401 million euros and that 2524 jobs have been created. The Granada – Seville high speed line will open in 2013.
The Junta de Andalucia also invited tenders for two of the most complex railway sections between Anteqera and Savilla. The Public Works and Transport councilor, Rosa Aguilar, said that the high-speed line is now 60% complete. She remarked that the Junta has invested 401 million euros and that 2524 jobs have been created. The Granada – Seville high speed line will open in 2013.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Rail Gauges in Spain
Rail transport in Spain operates on four rail gauges and services are operated by a variety of private and public operators. The total route length in 2004 was 14,781 km (8,791 km electrified):[1]
broad gauge (1,668 mm)
11,829 km (6,950 km electrified at 3 kV DC)
standard gauge (1,435 mm)
998 km (all electrified at 25 kV AC)
narrow gauge (1,000 mm)
1,926 km (815 km electrified)
narrow gauge (914 mm)
28 km (all electrified)
Most railways are operated by RENFE; narrow-gauge lines are operated by FEVE and other carriers in individual autonomous communities. It is proposed to build or convert more standard-gauge lines, including some dual gauging of broad-gauge lines, especially where these lines link to adjacent countries.
broad gauge (1,668 mm)
11,829 km (6,950 km electrified at 3 kV DC)
standard gauge (1,435 mm)
998 km (all electrified at 25 kV AC)
narrow gauge (1,000 mm)
1,926 km (815 km electrified)
narrow gauge (914 mm)
28 km (all electrified)
Most railways are operated by RENFE; narrow-gauge lines are operated by FEVE and other carriers in individual autonomous communities. It is proposed to build or convert more standard-gauge lines, including some dual gauging of broad-gauge lines, especially where these lines link to adjacent countries.
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