Saragossa – Canfranc railway line

Saragossa – Canfranc
Route length:	187.7 km
Gauge :	1668 mm ( Iberian track )
Power system :	Saragossa – Tardienta 3 kV  =
Power system :	Tardienta – Huesca 25 kV / 50 Hz  ~
Maximum slope :	20  ‰
Minimum radius :	200 m
Legend 0.0 Zaragoza 4.96 Miraflores to Reus 16.33 San Juan de Mozarrifar 21.53 Villanueva de Gállego 34.79 Zuera Bypass route to Turuñana 52.62 Almudévar 62.02 Tardienta to Lleida 74.56 Vicien 83.51 Huesca Zuera bypass 110.96 Turunana 118.47 Ayerbe 125.21 Riglos Concilio 128.51 Riglos Apeadero 137.11 Santa María y la Peña 142.89 Anzánigo 156.05 Caldearenas - Aquilué 167.02 Orna de Gállego 177.80 Sabiñánigo 187.40 Navasa 193.73 Jaca 199.45 Castiello Pueblo 202.41 Castiello 211.14 Villanúa 218.39 Canfranc 1190m Spain / France to Pau

The Saragossa – Canfranc railway is a broad-gauge railway line opened in northern Spain in 1928 from the Aragonese capital Saragossa via Huesca and Jaca to Canfranc in the Pyrenees . Originally, it formed a connection across the Pyrenees together with the French Pau – Canfranc railway line , on which, however, no through trains ran due to the different gauges. After an accident with a freight train that destroyed a bridge on the French side, the international connection has been interrupted since 1970, so that now only regional trains run to Canfranc. The line between Saragossa and Tardienta is electrified with 3 kV direct current . Between Tardienta and Huesca it runs for more than 20 km on a three- rail track together with the electrified standard - gauge high - speed line Saragossa – Huesca , although broad-gauge vehicles cannot run there electrically. The section between Huesca and Canfranc is not electrified.

history

The route was opened in 1928. In 1929, the shortcut route between Zuera and Turuñana followed, which was intended to considerably reduce the travel time of trains that do not run via Huesca.

The Spanish Civil War and, initially, the Second World War , meanwhile, led to restrictions in rail traffic on the line. In the further course of the war, however, not inconsiderable deliveries were made from Spain to the German Empire via the Saragossa – Pau route.

The collapse of a bridge caused by a derailed freight train on the French line between Canfranc and Bedous interrupted international train traffic in 1970, which at that time was already low. Since then, regional trains have been running to Canfranc on the Spanish side. The Zuera – Turuñana connecting line has not been used since then and is no longer passable.

Spanish regional trains in Canfranc station

There were always plans to resume the rail connection to France. On the French side, the route between Pau and Oloron-Sainte-Marie is now being used again, the next section from Oloron-Sainte-Marie to Bedous was repaired by 2016. However, there are currently no specific plans for a renewed commissioning of the then still missing, partially dismantled section between Bedous and Canfranc.

In 2003, the high-speed line Zaragoza – Huesca was opened. This runs from Saragossa to Tardienta on a standard gauge track laid essentially parallel to the existing broad gauge track. A three-rail track was laid on the subsequent section from Tardienta to Huesca, on which both standard-gauge vehicles (electrical with 25 kV / 50 Hz alternating current ) and broad-gauge vehicles (only in diesel traction) can run. Since then, there have been two standard gauge tracks and four broad gauge tracks at Huesca station. Of the latter, only one has a platform. In the station apron, a lane changing system has been set up on which appropriately equipped trains can be switched from broad gauge to standard gauge (and vice versa).

Up until 2007, trains that ran from Saragossa to Canfranc and stopped at the Huesca terminus had to move back a bit after the stop in order to then drive on to the junction in the direction of Canfranc. A corresponding procedure was necessary in the opposite direction. In 2007 a new bypass was opened south of Huesca. Since then, the trains running via Huesca have been changing direction in Huesca. Trains that use the bypass route without the detour via Huesca can run without changing direction.

Important structures

The San Juan Viaduct

The most imposing structure is the Canfranc station , which was designed as a transfer station (change from standard gauge to Iberian broad gauge) and goods transfer point and has a main building of 250 m length with 27 tracks.

Also important is the San Juan Viaduct with its 28 arches and about 357 m in length.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Diploma thesis at the University of Bern on reactivating the Pau – Canfranc connection
2. ↑ ^{a b} Article about the Huesca station in the Spanish railway magazine Vía Libre, No. 530 of May 14, 2009 ( Memento of January 7, 2012 on WebCite ) (Spanish)

Web links

• A photo project with pictures of the train station in Canfranc
• Diploma thesis at the University of Bern on reactivating the Pau – Canfranc connection (PDF file; 7.80 MB)