Renfe can breathe calm . The company has established a substantial business in the Galician corridor . The volume of travelers between Madrid and Galicia has surged to the extent that airlines are retreating from this route. High-speed trains have drastically reduced travel times, and many passengers are now choosing trains for their comfort and time flexibility .
The Galician corridor is now part of the next package for liberalization of train routes, alongside routes to Asturias , Cantabria , Cádiz , and Huelva . However, real competition on these tracks won’t be evident until 2028 , largely because Adif has not met the scheduled deadlines. Yet, the Madrid-Galicia route holds another peculiarity—it is quite likely that we will see new competitors emerging by 2028.
To understand this, we must trace back to the nineteenth century .
The Particular Spanish Railroad
With each new technology, a host of standards and guidelines emerge, whether it is about electric cars , electricity, or indeed, train tracks. Railroads began taking shape in the early nineteenth century. Although the steam engine was invented in the 18th century , it wasn’t until 1804 that Richard Trevithick built a prototype that applied to transportation, giving birth to the steam locomotive .
The idea of a massive iron behemoth pulling carts to move goods faster seemed revolutionary. By 1830 , the first passenger train line was opened, covering the iconic 50 kilometers between Liverpool and Manchester , famously piloted by George Stephenson, who ideated the construction of that initial route.
These early trains ran on tracks wider than the standard of 1,422 millimeters , which would soon widen to 1,435 mm , the now internationally recognized width. This led to the establishment of two categories : narrow gauge (less than 1,435 mm) and broad gauge (greater than 1,435 mm).
Success in these early rail lines spurred expansion to continental Europe and the United States . However, with every innovation came a quest for improvement, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel , an eminent British engineer, sought to create a more effective rail system. His Great Western Railway connected London with the southwest, western England, and much of Wales . Brunel argued that wider tracks would enable higher train speeds, and he proposed a track width of 2,140 mm .
After a lengthy debate in 1845, the Railway Width Commission resolved in favor of Stephenson’s 1,435 mm standard. Meanwhile, in Spain, the conversation around track width was equally complex.
In the mid-19th century, observing accomplishments abroad, the Spanish Government began receiving applications for railroad concessions. They sought to harmonize railroad measures and tasked a team of engineers led by Juan Subercase to draft a report. This report, dated October 17, 1844 , recommended rejecting a concession for a Madrid to Cádiz route requested by French engineer Juqueau Galbrun.
Historian J. Moreno Fernández reveals in his writings that these engineers had little to no firsthand experience of international rail systems. Their bias resulted in overlooking that France had already adopted the standard rail width.
Subercase advocated for the Iberian Width of 1,672 millimeters . He believed a wider track width necessitated more powerful locomotives. Their stance was that a wider gauge could improve stability, particularly on curves. However, history showed that the perceived advantages of the Iberian Width weren’t as significant as believed.
The Spanish government favored Subercase’s reasoning and opted for the Iberian standard. This decision was particularly ironic as other neighboring countries pursued the international width . By 1844 , the Iberian track width became the national standard, despite Turkey initiating two lines that willingly adopted the international norm, one between Barcelona and Mataró , and another between Alar del Rey and Santander .
Portugal sought connections to France, creating legends that live on today
Meanwhile, Portugal sought to connect with the rest of Europe via Madrid, but Spain remained unconvinced. Seven years later, in 1851 , Portugal formally requested Spain to reconsider its standards, but the request fell on deaf ears.
Despite over 1,300 kilometers of Spanish rail being constructed by then, Spain believed their approach was superior, dismissing worries of isolation from Europe as inconsequential. A legend persisted that the different widths were a cautious measure against potential French invasions, although no documentation supported this theory.
The Galician Case
Surprisingly, the engineers who first determined the Spanish railroad’s track width chose a measure that was not adopted by anyone else. While the original width prevails in parts of Spain, the construction of high-speed trains brought the international width to the forefront.
The section connecting Madrid and Ourense utilizes this width, yet beyond that, the Iberian width is still in use, creating an obstacle for trains.
Talgo S106 trains are now equipped to handle variable widths . They can seamlessly switch tracks, effectively linking Galicia and Madrid . Although this advancement is monumental, ongoing structural issues with these trains have affected routes like Madrid-Barcelona .
Currently, Talgo manufactures these trains solely for Renfe, restricting contracts to competitors like Ouigo or Iroo . Adif plans to allow competition on the Madrid-Galicia route, but no contenders can currently manufacture the necessary trains, meaning Renfe can rest easy for now, all thanks to Juan Subercase .