SPAIN | Railways

[437.001]

Talking about FGC, I´ve just found this video about Ferrocarriles Catalanes (CGFC), the private company which exploited the lines of the current FGC Llobregat-Anoia network.

[AlexNL]

I'm a bit of a train spotter myself, sometimes I like to stand along a line and take pictures of trains as they're coming by. For some time now, I've been wanting to visit Spain and take some pictures there as well. The railway maps posted here before are very helpful, together with Google Maps SunCalc I'll be able to find a nice spot to stand to take pictures.

A couple of weeks ago, I've been to the UK. Realtime Trains was very helpful to determine when a train would be approaching. For Belgium, I had Railtime and for France, I used the help of SNCF Direct.

I've heard that some trains in Spain have very low frequencies. As I don't want to waste hours waiting near a deserted track, I'm trying to find similar information for Spain. Can somehere here point me in the direction of realtime departures (such as a mobile app or website) or timetables (possibly including freight)?

It would be very much appreciated.

edit: I've taken a look at Android's Play Store, I've found two apps from Renfe. One is only for the Cercanías networks, the other does offer more information, but it only has a journey planner (from/to) and no realtime departure times.

[alserrod]

Try searching here.

http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html

They will appear all long distance and regional trains. Not commuter trains or freight.

You have to ask for an origin and destination. They will appear all the trains and clicking on any one of them all stops for it so you will know the official schedule.


Anyway, if you have problems with the page, if you wanna further information or just if you want to ask for some landscapes with a train, just post it here.

[AlexNL]

Thanks for your reply! It doesn't look like what I am looking for, as that page is a journey planner, not including realtime departure information. I'm looking for realtime information, such as offered by NS or SNCF. Both NS and SNCF have mobile apps as well, which helps while on the go.

On the ADIF website, I have found a page which offers realtime arrivals and departures. Is there some mobile version, or should I make one myself?

edit: Yes, there is!

[alserrod]

Try with this one:
http://positren.nebulacodex.com/?pos...79,-3.703219,6

IT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PAGE but just based on Adif database. In fact several forumers have found a little mistakes in the network. They will say which is its next station for any regional or long distance train.

[AlexNL]

That seems useful, thank you

[alserrod]

Is there any landscape you wanna go to take pictures?. We can recommend some of them

[AlexNL]

I haven't made up my mind yet (nor picked any dates), so suggestions would be very much appreciated. I live in the Netherlands and have a car available.

[Coccodrillo]

The Variante de Pajares (50 km), located between León and the Asturies, will partially open within 1 or 2 years on a single broad gauge track electrified at 25 kV AC. There will be two stations for crossing and overtaking, but located around 40 km apart. The other track may open later. The base tunnel (25 km) suffer of serious water infiltrations. The existing single track line dating from 1881 will certainly be kept in operation for the time being, but after the opening of the second track I fear it will be closed.

[Sunfuns]

Originally Posted by Coccodrillo

The Variante de Pajares (50 km), located between León and the Asturies, will partially open within 1 or 2 years on a single broad gauge track electrified at 25 kV AC. There will be two stations for crossing and overtaking, but located around 40 km apart. The other track may open later. The base tunnel (25 km) suffer of serious water infiltrations. The existing single track line dating from 1881 will certainly be kept in operation for the time being, but after the opening of the second track I fear it will be closed.

Better than nothing, I guess. What kind of impact will it have on Madrid-Oviedo travel times? Has that been announced already? Hope they can eventually solve the water problem and use the tunnel to it's full specifications.

[437.001]

Originally Posted by Sunfuns

Better than nothing, I guess. What kind of impact will it have on Madrid-Oviedo travel times? Has that been announced already?

This tunnel alone will cut travel times by one hour.

Hope they can eventually solve the water problem and use the tunnel to it's full specifications.

It´s a difficult case. There´s a lot of unexpected water.
This is one of the most challenging works Adif has come across.

[Sunfuns]

Originally Posted by 437.001

This tunnel alone will cut travel times by one hour.

I remember you saying it before, but I was wondering if the effect will be that large with this "half finished" version.

Originally Posted by 437.001

It´s a difficult case. There´s a lot of unexpected water.
This is one of the most challenging works Adif has come across.

I've heard that, but they have good engineers and a lot of experience. I trust they'll come up with some acceptable solution which doesn't cost extra billions.

By the way about the old track - prevailing opinion here seems to be that it will be closed once the tunnel is fully functional. However, the tunnel eventually will be used by HS trains on standard gauge and thus it would mean that the only passenger traffic between Madrid and Oviedo will be high speed. Is that really reasonable? Isn't there also some freight traffic on the old line? Is the tunnel actually "cutting out" any stations which would lose service entirely if such a decision were to be made?

[OriK]

Probably the impact will be mostly limited to schedules and frequencies...

[437.001]

Originally Posted by Sunfuns

I remember you saying it before, but I was wondering if the effect will be that large with this "half finished" version.

It will be that large, single or double track.

Have a look at google maps: http://maps.google.es/maps?hl=es&gs_...&ved=0CKUBELYD

I´ve put you in Pola de Lena, the northern end of the tunnel.
If you follow the classic line southbound till La Robla, you´ll immediately understand.

I've heard that, but they have good engineers and a lot of experience. I trust they'll come up with some acceptable solution which doesn't cost extra billions.

Fingers crossed. I´m not completely optimistic about that.

By the way about the old track - prevailing opinion here seems to be that it will be closed once the tunnel is fully functional.

I´m still not sure about it. Looks like certain kind of trains could still use it.
Besides, the section of the old classic line between Pola de Lena and Puente de los Fierros is a part of the Cercanías C1 commuter line, so I seriously doubt it´ll be closed, that sector.

However, the tunnel eventually will be used by HS trains on standard gauge and thus it would mean that the only passenger traffic between Madrid and Oviedo will be high speed. Is that really reasonable? Isn't there also some freight traffic on the old line? Is the tunnel actually "cutting out" any stations which would lose service entirely if such a decision were to be made?

We´re still not sure about what´s going to happen.
If politicians didn´t change their minds every three minutes, I guess I could give you a more accurate answer...

[Sunfuns]

I guess the luck of money simultaneously with the desire to look good is playing a bit of chaos with the decisions of those politicians. Spain is hardly an exceptional case in this regard.

Thanks for the map. Is the old line particularly picturesque? It sure does look very windy...

[437.001]

Originally Posted by Sunfuns

I guess the luck of money simultaneously with the desire to look good is playing a bit of chaos with the decisions of those politicians. Spain is hardly an exceptional case in this regard.

Dunno. But I can assure you that we do not like this kind of switching attitudes.

Thanks for the map. Is the old line particularly picturesque? It sure does look very windy...

It is VERY picturesque, one of the most scenic lines in Spain.
I can only recommend you to try it. Oh, and bring the umbrella if you do, Asturias is just as rainy as the UK (no joking, it actually is).

[Think]

We lacked here this image of the water infiltrations inside the 25 km tunnels, they are very serious:



Image by the journal La Nueva España.

[Coccodrillo]

Why one tunnel can be opened and the other not? Beside the obvious answer that only one tube suffer by water infiltrations, another answer may be that one tube has to be sued as drainage tunnel or to host water pumps. Boring a drainage tunnel might be a solution, then?

As for the operation of one tube only: it might be good to use it for intercity trains in both direction, but by freight only in one direction* like it is done in the Lötschberg base tunnel. In that way, and with Spanish rail traffic levels, it is highly unlikely there will be capacity problems, even with 40 km of single track.

*likely towards central Spain, as it's the direction where the old line probably has the longer and steeper grade