Transport in Spain is characterised by an extensive network of roads, railways, rapid transit, air routes, and ports. Its geographic location makes it an important link between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Major forms of transit generally radiate from the capital, Madrid, located in the centre of the country, to link with the capitals of the autonomous communities.
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 2012 was 16,026 km.
Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) is a high-speed rail service in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, currently at speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph), and formerly up to 310 km/h (193 mph).
The Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed line is an international high-speed rail line between France and Spain. The line consists of a 175.5-kilometre (109.1 mi) railway, of which 24.6 km (15.3 mi) are in France and 150.8 km (93.7 mi) are in Spain. It crosses the French–Spanish border via the 8.3-kilometre (5.2 mi) Perthus Tunnel bored under the Perthus Pass, connecting two cities on opposite sides of the border, Perpignan in Roussillon, France, and Figueres in Catalonia, Spain. The line extends to Barcelona, and this part is sometimes referenced as an extension of the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line. The Perpignan–Barcelona line is a part of the Mediterranean Corridor.
High-speed railways in Spain are in operation since 1992 when the first line was opened connecting the cities of Madrid, Córdoba and Seville. Unlike the rest of the Iberian broad gauge network, the Spanish High-speed network mainly uses standard gauge. This permits direct connections to outside Spain through the link to the French network at the Perthus Tunnel. High-speed trains run on a network of high-speed rail track owned and managed by ADIF, where the dominant service is AVE while other high speed services such as Avant, Alvia, Avlo, Euromed, Ouigo España and Iryo, as well as mid-speed (Altaria) services also operate.
Barcelona Sants is the main railway station in Barcelona, owned by Adif, the railway infrastructure agency of Spain. It has become the most important transport hub of the city - being the centre of Rodalies de Catalunya including Barcelona suburban railway services and regional services, as well as the main inter-city station for national and international destinations. The station is named after Sants, the neighbourhood of Barcelona in which it is located. New parts of the station have recently been remodeled to accommodate the Spanish high-speed train AVE in the city, which started serving the city on 20 February 2008. There is also an adjacent international bus station bearing the same name, and a link to the Sants Estació metro station that serves the railway station.
The Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line is a 621-kilometre (386 mi) standard gauge railway line inaugurated on 20 February 2008. Designed for speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph) and compatibility with neighbouring countries' rail systems, it connects the cities of Madrid and Barcelona in 2 hours 30 minutes. In Barcelona the line is connected with the Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line leading into France which connects it to the European high speed network.
The Haramain High Speed Railway, also known as the Western railway or Mecca–Medina high-speed railway, is a 453-kilometre-long (281 mi) high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia. It links the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca via King Abdullah Economic City and Jeddah, using 449.2 kilometres (279.1 mi) of main line and a 3.75-kilometre (2.33 mi) branch connection to King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), in Jeddah. The line is designed for a top speed of 300 km/h (190 mph).
The Madrid–Málaga high-speed rail line is a standard gauge High-speed rail line of 512 km (318 mi) in length that links the city of Madrid with the city of Málaga in Spain. The line was inaugurated on 24 December 2007. At the time the service opened, Renfe Operadora was running 22 trains daily between Madrid and Málaga.
ADIF is a Spanish state-owned railway infrastructure manager. This state owned company reports to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda. ADIF is charged with the management of most of Spain's railway infrastructure, that is the track, signaling and stations. It was formed in 2005 in response to European Union requirements to separate the natural monopoly of infrastructure management from the competitive operations of running train services. It is the legal successor of Renfe, Feve, and GIF.
Badajoz railway station is the central railway station of Badajoz, Spain. Commonly referred locally as the RENFE station, the station is part of Adif and high-speed rail systems: it is located at the western part of the Southwest–Portuguese high speed line.
Logroño Railway Station is the central railway station of Logroño, Spain. Commonly referred locally as the RENFE station, the station is part of Adif and high-speed rail systems.
The Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line is a high-speed railway line in Spain that links the city of Madrid with the region of Galicia via the cities of Olmedo, Zamora, Ourense and Santiago de Compostela. The line also connects the Atlantic Axis high-speed rail line to the rest of the Spanish AVE high-speed network. The Madrid–Galicia high-speed rail line is constructed as double electrified line and is designed for trains running at speeds up to 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph).
Huesca railway station serves the city of Huesca in the province of the same name, Aragon, Spain. The station is a terminus with four platforms faces and six tracks. It was opened in 2001, replacing an earlier station that had opened in 1864 along with the Zaragoza to Huesca railway. The old station was demolished not long after the opening of the new one.
Murcia del Carmen railway station is the main railway station in the Spanish city of Murcia.
Albacete-Los Llanos railway station is a railway station serving the Spanish city of Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha.
Antequera-Santa Ana railway station is a railway station serving the Spanish town of Antequera, Málaga in Andalusia. It is located 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the town centre, is served by the Spanish AVE high-speed rail system, on the Madrid–Málaga high-speed rail line. A gauge changer exists near the station, allowing trains to operate seamlessly on both standard gauge AVE tracks and Iberian gauge mainline tracks.
Córdoba railway station, also known as Córdoba Central is the main railway station of the Spanish city of Córdoba, Andalusia. It was opened in 1994 replacing an older station.
Ciudad Real railway station is the main railway station of the Spanish city of Ciudad Real, Castilla–La Mancha. Located on the AVE high-speed rail line from Madrid Atocha to Seville-Santa Justa and Málaga María Zambrano, travel to Madrid can be achieved in under an hour.
Cartagena railway station is the main railway station in the Spanish city of Cartagena in the Region of Murcia. It is the terminus of the Chinchilla–Cartagena railway, and the current station building opened in 1903.
