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Two track gauges, a huge AVE network and stations that look more like airports: for spotters, Spain is a world of its own.
3 locations listed
Spain runs two track gauges side by side: the Iberian broad-gauge network and the standard gauge of the high-speed lines. At the gauge-changing facilities and in the big stations you can watch both worlds in one place.
Adif and Renfe allow photography on platforms. High-speed stations have airport-style security checks; your kit is X-rayed, but photography is not restricted afterwards.
From May to September the midday hours are a write-off for photography – too harsh, too hazy, too much heat shimmer over the tracks. The usable windows are before ten in the morning and after six in the evening.
Main stations with high train frequency and many operators. Ideal for beginners: platforms are publicly accessible, departure boards make traffic predictable and the haul is high.
Barcelona Sants
Barcelona
Barcelona Sants brings together all of Catalonia's long-distance and commuter traffic – and does it entirely underground. No daylight, no train shed, but standard and broad gauge side by side and a connection through to France. Knowing that in advance changes how you plan.
Madrid Puerta de Atocha
Madrid
Atocha is two stations in one: a listed hall where palm trees have stood instead of trains since the nineties, and next to it the modern high-speed station with access control. Knowing which part is freely accessible saves you a lot of hassle here.
Where the electrification system, operator or track gauge changes: locomotive changes, long dwell times and vehicles from two countries in the same yard.
Record every vehicle with location and time – and see what other spotters are reporting here right now.
See also
The vehicles you will come across in Spain are listed in the rolling stock database. You can find out who runs them in the railway operator database. And the guide Planning a spotting tour explains how to plan a tour properly.
