Trip to France and Spain - Autumn 2024
General Notes
Originally planned around a one-week railtour that was postponed, I amended my plans to include a few days at my sister's place in Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Spain, plus a few days either side travelling over routes in the Barcelona area. Barcelona has a very complex network of railways, more so than Madrid, with a mixture of metre gauge, standard gauge and broad gauge train services, plus an extensive metro and a number of tram routes.I also wanted to cover the high speed line between France and Barcelona - I had planned for this in January 2020 but was thwarted by flooding in France. Barcelona hotels are very expensive so I stayed at convenient locations away from the city centre.
Numbers/letters in [square brackets] are platform identifiers.
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- FGC - Ferrocarriles de la Generalidad de Cataluña (train operator in Barcelona)
- RENFE - Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (principal train operator in Spain)
- SNCF - Société nationale des chemins de fer français (national train operator in France)
Track gauge
RENFE trains are broad (1668 mm) gauge unless otherwise stated: gauge-changing trains are listed individually. All other trains, metros and trams are standard gauge unless otherwise stated; standard gauge: 1435 mm; metre gauge: 1000 mm.
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Friday 27th September 2024
| Timperley | 04:15 | taxi | ||
| Manchester Airport T3 (MAN) | 04:30 | 06:25 | FR3242 | Ryanair EI-IHP B737MAX 8-200 push-back 06:52, take-off 07:13 from runway 05L |
| Béziers (BZR) | 09:30 | 10:50 | '660' | landed 10:00 on runway 27, on stand 10:05 / airport bus |
| Gare Béziers SNCF | 11:15 | arr 10 early | ||
| Béziers | 14:08 [B] | 9713 | inOui (SNCF) double-deck TGV 804+xxx | |
| * Perpignan 15:01/15:09 [D], 804 only | ||||
| Barcelona Sants | 16:31 [5] | 17:03 [11] | 'R14' | RENFE EMU 470 023+470 070 direct route via El Prat and Sant Vicenç de Calders |
| Tarragona | 18:14 [1] | check into hotel | ||
| Tarragona | 19:29 [1] | 'RT2' | RENFE EMU 448 012 | |
| Salou-Port Aventura | 19:38 [1] | 20:23 [1] | 'RT2' | RENFE EMU 448 012 |
| Tarragona | 20:33 [4] | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Perpignan - high speed line - Barcelona Sants; Tarragona - Salou-Port Aventura. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Lauria, Rambla Nova, 20, Tarragona; 8 minutes’ walk from station. | ||||
| Notes Handy flight from Manchester to be in pole position for covering the standard gauge high speed line between Perpignan and Barcelona, missed out on in 2020 due to flooding in France. I had time for a wander around Béziers, a pleasant city with a large park, plus some lunch. I then realised that there was an interesting-looking stretch of canal and an canal aqueduct nearby, so I hurriedly had a walk around that area. After getting the high speed train from Perpignan to Barcelona I caught a local train to Tarragona. There was time after checking in to the hotel for the run down the branch to Salou-Port Aventura and back: this had been the through route to València until a few years ago, when the Variante de Vandellós was opened. |
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Saturday 28th September 2024
| Tarragona | 08:50 [2] | 18016 | RENFE EMU 447 025+447 030 | |
| Via Sant Vicenç de Calders (arr 09:15, dep 09:54 43 late) - engineering works diversion via Martorell - cross to left track at El Vendrell 10:02 - stopped before road bridge before l'Arboç 10:09/10:14 - cross one EMU and one freight after l'Arboç, still 'wrong line' - Villafranca del Penedés 10:28 then cross to right track - Sant Sadurni de d'Anola 10:39 through line - Martorell Central [2] 10:53 - single track tunnel route - Castellbisbal [4] 10:58 - stopped before St Feliu de Llobregat 11:12/11:20 - cross to left track (right missing) - St Feliu de Llobregat 11:23 - Barcelona Sants [13] dep 61 late - Barcelona Passeig de Grácia | ||||
| Barcelona Estació de França | 10:45 [15] | arr 67 late | ||
| Barceloneta | 13:11 | 'L4' | Barcelona metro | |
| Ciutadella Vila Olímpico | 13:13 | 13:29 | 'T4' | Barcelona tram 01 |
| Estació de Sant Adrià | 13:50 | 14:03 | 'T6' | Barcelona tram 10 |
| Glòries | 14:23 | 14:31 | 'L1' | Barcelona metro |
| Clot | 14:34 | 14 37 | 'L2' | Barcelona metro |
| Sagrada Familia | 14:40 | 14:59 | 'L5' | Barcelona metro |
| Sants Estació | 15:06 | |||
| Barcelona Sants | 16:10 [1] | Euromed 1161 | RENFE class 130 set 08 standard gauge | |
| Via Camp de Tarragona - long curve - La Boella (westbound) gauge changer 17:00 (change to broad gauge) - Variante de Vandellós - L'Ametlla de Mar middle road 17:22/17:27 - Alcalà de Xivert cross to left track 18:04 - Orpesa 18:20 cross to right track | ||||
| Castelló de la Plana | 18:12 [4] | arr 24 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Sant Vicenç de Calders - Martorell - Barcelona Sants - Barcelona Estació de França; Camp de Tarragona - La Boella - Castelló de la Plana. | ||||
| Overnight: Eurohotel Castellón, Pintor Oliet, 9, Castelló de la Plana, 12006. Opposite station. | ||||
| Notes I had only the one pre-booked train today, the 16:10 Euromed from Sants to Castelló, to cover the newish line from Camp de Tarragona via the gauge changer at La Boella to meet up with existing track coverage at Castelló de la Plana. My plan for the morning was to visit the historic "France" station at Barcelona Estació de França, but this was complicated by weekend engineering works at El Prat on the direct route. I thought I might have to change at Sant Vicenç de Calders, and indeed the 08:50 train was initially advertised only that far. However it was then amended to work through, helpfully via the Martorell route which was 'required'. However this took a long time due to other engineering works on that line - related to making it dual standard+broad gauge - so I ended up well over an hour late at Estació de França. This slightly scuppered my original plans so I visited two of the three tram routes on the east side of Barcelona: there are another three on the west side, and a link line is under construction. I then had time for a short period of being a "tourist" viewing the Sagrada Familia which has its own metro stop.... then via the new-ish Variante de Vandellós and the gauge-changer at La Boella to spend the night in Castelló de la Plana to be in place for the trains to Madrid and Cádiz next day. Castelló de la Plana has trolleybuses but they mostly seemed to be running in diesel mode due to overhead wiring defects, so I didn't bother travelling on any. While wandering around looking for somewhere to eat that evening I spotted that there was a high-wire act performing at the old station site so I stayed for a while and took sonme photographs. |
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Sunday 29th September 2024
| Castelló de la Plana | 11:26 [3] | AVE 5721 | RENFE class 106 set 064 broad gauge | |
| Via Sagunt (station call) - left track from before Massalfassar to ? - València Joaquín Sorolla [8] reverse (12:21/12:36, dep 7 late) - via gauge changer (change to standard gauge) then new outer alignment - Bif Motilla de Palancar - Cuenca Fernando Zobel - stop outside Madrid Puerta de Atocha (cross outbound train) - Madrid Puerta de Atocha Estación Pasante Bypass | ||||
| Madrid Chamartín | 14:38 [15] | 14:52 [2] | 'C-4A' | RENFE EMU 465 035+465 081 via Sol |
| Madrid Atocha Cercanías | 15:04 [6] | |||
| Madrid Puerta de Atocha | 16:05 [9] | Alvia 2164 | RENFE class 130 set 02 standard gauge | |
| Via stop before first turnout at Bif Torrejon de Velasco 16:20/16:23 - stop before PAET Cañada de Calatrava 17:04/17:07 then 40 km/h for 3 km - stop after Puertollano 17:29/17:30 - Córdoba stop (staff change?) [3] 18:05/18:07 - Majarabique Talgo gauge changer, to broad gauge 18:49 - Sevilla bypass route - Jerez de la Frontera [1] 19:52/19:54 - left track - viaduct over Rio Guadalete - cross to right track - Puerto de Santa María 20:03/20:05 (dep 10 late) - San Fernando Bahia Sur 20:17/20:19 (dep 10 late) | ||||
| Cádiz | 20:29 [3] | arr 9 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Majarabique Talgo gauge changer. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Boutique Convento Cádiz, Cádiz; opposite station. | ||||
| Notes A late start (caught up with some correspondence). Unfortunately I couldn't arrange to travel on a 'conventional' AVE working to or from Castellón as these run via a different route at València, running on the standard gauge rails of the dual gauge track, and so not calling at Sagunt. AVE class 106 units are dual gauge so can call at Sagunt; they use the gauge changer after departing València Joaquín Sorolla. The train also used the new alignment south of the station at València, related to works connecting up the new high speed line towards Alicante. A suburban train move back across Madrid easily made the Cádiz train which is nominally non-stop to Jerez de la Frontera, though we did briefly call at Córdoba. Being a Class 130 Talgo set we used the Talgo gauge changer at Majarabique (just north of Sevilla) - uniquely, there are separate Talgo and CAF gauge changers here, on parallel tracks, and I had previously only ever used the CAF changer. This train and its opposite number bypass Sevilla to the east side. The hotel was interesting as it is in a former convent, attached to but separate from a functioning Catholic church. |
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Monday 30th September 2024
| Cádiz | 09:04 [5] | 'T1' | Trambahía tram 003 (broad gauge) | |
| Left track from after Pinar de los Franceses to after Marquesado due to stabled engineering vehicles | ||||
| Pelagatos | 10:11 [1] | 10:46 [1] | 'T1' | Trambahía tram 003 (broad gauge) |
| Cádiz | 11:47 [5] | 12:09 [5] | 'C-1' | RENFE EMU 464 022 |
| Jerez de la Frontera | 12:55 [1] | 14:10 | ||
| Jerez de la Frontera Estación de Autobuses | 14:10 [4] | Monbus (from Algeciras) dep 9 late | ||
| Sevilla Prado de San Sebastián | 15:25 [17] | arr 19 late then walk | ||
| San Bernardo | 16:12 [1] | 'C-5' | RENFE EMU 464 088 | |
| Sevilla Santa Justa | 16:16 [8] | 17:00 [11] | MD 13039 | RENFE EMU 449 008 dep 14 late due to police being called to unruly passengers |
| Huelva | 18:33 [5] | arr 11 late Today's photos | ||
| By car to my sister's village Sanlúcar de Guadiana | ||||
| New passenger track today: Rio Arillo - Pelagatos (tram route to Chiclana de la Frontera). | ||||
| Notes Overnighting in Cádiz allowed an easy traversal of the new (opened 2022) tram route to Chiclana de la Frontera, which unusually is broad gauge to allow shared use of the 10 km section between La Ardila and Cádiz. Basically the whole route takes 3 hours. There is a supply voltage change just east of La Ardila from the main line network 3 kV dc to 750 V dc to better suit the tramway. Lots of single track running through the centres of San Fernando and Chiclana de la Frontera. Apart from the depot, there is nothing at the eastern terminus at Pelagatos. I couldn't get a train ticket from Cádiz to Sevilla (even trying over a week in advance) but there are several bus companies running between the popular tourist town of Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla so I just chose the one at the most convenient time; booked online. There's no restriction on use of the Cercanías service between Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera. I chose to walk from Sevilla's main bus station at Prado de San Sebastián to the transport interchange at San Bernardo, I had done the tram route here a few years ago. My train from Sevilla to Huelva was delayed by an argument between two passengers and the train's driver, which required the police to attend! |
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Friday 4th October 2024
| By car from Sanlúcar de Guadiana | ||||
| Huelva | 08:34 [1] | Alvia 2285 | RENFE EMU class 120 set 58 broad gauge | |
| Via Bif. San Jerónimo - Majarabique CAF (westernmost) gauge changer 09:53 (change to standard gauge) - Córdoba 10:33/10:35 | ||||
| Madrid Puerta de Atocha | 12:36 [4] | arr 18 early - extreme south end of platforms | ||
| Madrid Puerta de Atocha | 13:25 [5] | AVE 9725 | RENFE AVE 100 set 23 standard gauge | |
| Via Guadalajara-Yebes 13:48/13:50/3/13:50/13:52 - long curve into Zaragoza-Delicias 14:47/14:49/2/14:50/14:53 - long curve - Lleida bypass - Camp de Tarragona 15:44/15:50/5/15:46/15:53 - Barcelona Sants 16:22/16:27/6/16:34/16:42 - stopped, still in platform 16:44/16:49 - single line working - cross to right track Llinares 17:09 - Girona 17:13/17:29/11/17:16/17:31 - Figueres-Vilafant 17:30/17:45/3/17:33/17:47 - right-to-left turnover | ||||
| Perpignan | 17:56 [E] | arr 14 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: right-to-left turnover south of Perpignan. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel ibis Styles Perpignan Centre Gare, Perpignan; about 1 km from the station. Much cooler here than in southern Spain! | ||||
| Notes Simple day today with just two trains, but a long journey of around 1200 km! The only track I 'required' today was the right-to-left turnover flyover on the high speed line between the Spanish/French border and Perpignan. |
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Saturday 5th October 2024
| Perpignan | 07:58 [B] | TER 86967 | SNCF EMU Z 27760/27759/27650/649/27871 | |
| Via Cerbère [C] 08:33/08:43 | ||||
| Portbou | 08:47 [1F] | 09:22 [1] | 15834 ('R11') | RENFE EMU 447 099+447 160 dep 16 late |
| Cerbère | 09:26 [E] | 09:34 [E] | 15834 ('R11') | RENFE EMU 447 160+447 099 arr 17 late / dep 14 late |
| Portbou | 09:38 [1] | 10:35 [1] | 15808 ('R11') | RENFE EMU 447 099+447 160 arr 15 late |
| Delayed, Figueres 10:58 (dep 12 late) - Girona 11:39 (dep 11 late) | ||||
| Maçanet-Massanas | 12:04 [2] | 13:09 [3] | 'R1' | RENFE EMU 447 169+447 042 arr 9 late, missed connection into 12:09 departure |
| Via Mataró - El Clot 14:44 - Arc de Triomf 14:47 - Catalunya 14:50 | ||||
| Barcelona Sants | 14:48 [7] | 15:16 [14] | 'R11' | RENFE EMU 447 099+447 160 arr 7 late |
| Granollers Centre | 15:47 [1] | 16:32 [6] | 'R8' | RENFE EMU 465 219 dep 34 late |
| Via Sant Perpètua - Cerdanyola Universitat 17:27 - cross to left track after Rubi Can Vallhonrat 17:35 - "wrong" route via Aguja km 4.014 - Aguja km 79.347 - Castellbisbal [4] - single track tunnel | ||||
| Martorell Central (RENFE side) | 17:13 [6] | arr 28 late | ||
| Martorell Central (FGC side) | 18:18 [1] | 'R5' | FGC EMU 213.14+213.21 metre gauge | |
| Manresa Baixador | 19:03 [1] | 19:19 [1] | 'R5' | FGC EMU 213.21+213.14 metre gauge |
| Martorell Central (FGC side) | 20:03 [2] | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: RENFE: Maçanet-Massanas - Matarò - Catalunya; Mollet-Sant Fost - Castellbisbal; FGC: Martorell Central - Manresa Baixador. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Ciutat Martorell, Avenida Pau Claris, about 5 minutes' walk from the Martorell Central railway stations. | ||||
| Notes Main aims for today were the coastal route between Maçanet-Massanas and Barcelona Sants - I covered the inland route many years ago and want to do it again, but the priority is low - and one of the two FGC metre gauge branch lines out of Martorell Central - I would cover the other one next day. Unlike the other historic Spanish/French border crossings (at Hendaye and at La Tour de Carol) the Cerbère - Portbou crossing nowadays sees trains from both countries crossing the border in both directions; they are different gauges and different overhead supply voltages of course just to complicate matters. The Portbou - Cerbère - Portbou move with train 15834 is advertised in the timetable sheets but the return was not advertised at Cerbère; a quick query with the train crew confirmed that it was OK for me to ride on the train. Late running through the Figueres area meant that I - and a lot of others - missed the connection at Maçanet-Massanas. Next move was from Sants to Granollers Centre to cover the 'R8' service to Martorell Central, though this was running very late - it turns out due to lots of engineering works at Castellbisbal, which also made the train use the complex flying junction south of there in the 'wrong' direction and the 'rare' single track tunnel - which I had first done last weekend. Finally for the day I covered the FGC metre gauge 1500 V dc line from Martorell Central to Manresa Baixador. This line passes the terminus of the rack railway up to the popular Montserrat hills, but I had no time for that. |
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Sunday 6th October 2024
| Martorell Central (FGC side) | 08:52 [1] | 'R6' | FGC EMU 213.37 metre gauge | |
| Igualada | 09:39 [2] | 09:54 [2] | 'R6' | FGC EMU 213.37 metre gauge |
| Martorell Central (FGC side) | 10:40 [2] | |||
| Martorell Central (RENFE side) | 11:23 [4] | 'R8' | RENFE EMU 465 219 dep 12 late | |
| Via right track of double track tunnel - Castellbisbal [2] - southerly route | ||||
| Rubí Can Vallhonrat | 11:40 [1] | 11:57 [2] | 'R8' | RENFE EMU 465 ??? arr 10 late / dep 5 late |
| cross to left track - southerly route - Castellbisbal [2] - left track of double track tunnel | ||||
| Martorell Central (RENFE side) | 12:19 [4] | |||
| Martorell Central (FGC side) | 12:43 [2] | 'R6' | FGC EMU 213.10 metre gauge | |
| Plaça Espanya | 13:24 [1] | 13:27 [2] | 'S3' | FGC EMU 213.34 metre gauge |
| Europa-Fira | 13:34 [1] | 13:38 | 'L9 Sud' | Barcelona metro |
| Aeroport T2 | 13:57 | |||
| Barcelona (BCN) | 15:45 | FR 7545 | Ryanair EI-IJE B737MAX 8-200 push-back 15:46 from gate Y53, take-off 16:08 from runway 24L | |
| Manchester (MAN) | 17:20 | landed 17:00 on runway 23R, on stand 17:07 | ||
| The Station | 17:40 [K] | 'X5' | Warrington bus | |
| Altrincham Interchange | 18:03 | 18:07 | Metrolink tram 30??+3032 | |
| Timperley | 18:11 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: FGC: Martorell Central - Igualada; Martorell Central - Plaça Espanya. | ||||
| Notes This morning I covered the other FGC branch from Martorell Central, to Igualada. With some time to spare, and with the trains obviously running better today, I tried the 'R8' service again to see which tunnel it used at Castellbisbal and if it used the 'correct' flying junctions: it used the southernmost track of the rebuilt double-track tunnel at Castellbisbal both ways, but then used the same 'wrong' route between Rubí and Castellbisbal. Finally heading towards the airport, I used the metre gauge FGC route into Barcelona Plaça Espanya, then by metro to the airport. For getting home from Manchester Airport bus+tram was the better option tonight as a engineering block at Cornbrook had closed the tram route there over the weekend. |
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Summary
An excellent combined rail and family trip which fulfilled all my objectives.
Tickets used: 27th to 29th September, plus 4th October: first class InterRail, with seat reservations obtained through the InterRail website. For the second half of the 5th, and the 6th, October I used the Barcelona "T-dia" 6-zone day ticket. Other journeys by single tickets as required.