Canfranc-Huesca engineering work?

[30907]

A long shot, this: having just read an article about the station at Canfranc, I wondered about rerouting a trip to Spain via the Bedous-Canfranc bus and on to Huesca in early June.

The line on the Spanish side is shown as closed (for dual-gauging work etc) until the end of the current Renfe regional timetable on 18 May. Online searches say the closure is until "May 2024."

Does anyone perchance have further information. Travel date would be 1 June if southbound, 23 June if northbound.

Many thanks in advance.

PS doing a search in Spanish (plus auto-translate!) suggests 11 months from mid June 2023 so I might be in luck

 

[nwales58]

Even if you find information, I would wait until RENFE show it in the timetable before relying on it. And select the journey in the timetable and look for 'incidents'.

ADIF are good at announcing the start of works, but not when it comes to delays in completion. E.g. when will Ourense-Monforte de Lemos reopen? San Sebastian-Irun?

 

[30907]

Even if you find information, I would wait until RENFE show it in the timetable before relying on it. And select the journey in the timetable and look for 'incidents'.

ADIF are good at announcing the start of works, but not when it comes to delays in completion. E.g. when will Ourense-Monforte de Lemos reopen? San Sebastian-Irun?

Inclined to agree with you! I shall make sure there's plan B.

 

[HS2isgood]

Oof, like Ourense to Monforte, Zafra to Huelva, León Matallana to La Asunción and Murcia to Lorca, this is the typical Spanish engineering/upgrade closure that takes forever. Don't count on any trains running for the summer. They may run but I'd say it's rather unlikely atm.

 

[nwales58]

My favourite currently is Salamanca-Fuentes de Onoro (-Vilar Formoso on to Portugal). Billion+ Euro project to electrify and modernise started in *2019*, which obviously means line closures.

Supposed *4 week* closure in 2020, I have found the press release:

Las obras de mejora del tramo Salamanca-Fuentes de Oñoro obligan a interrumpir el tráfico ferroviario del 3 al 28 de agosto - Adif

www.adif.es

No further press releases I can see. Did it ever reopen? When will it reopen with work complete?

 

[Wandering Pom]

The only passenger service over this section before the project started was the combined Madrid / Hendaye - Lisboa sleeper. I believe that was withdrawn when Covid started (along with all the internal Spanish sleeper trains) and hasn't been reinstated. So the work might be finished, but there's no passenger service to use it. This situation won't have been helped by the simultaneous project in Portugal to rebuild the Pampilhosa - Guarda line.

 

[30907]

My favourite currently is Salamanca-Fuentes de Onoro (-Vilar Formoso on to Portugal). Billion+ Euro project to electrify and modernise started in *2019*, which obviously means line closures.

Supposed *4 week* closure in 2020, I have found the press release:

No further press releases I can see. Did it ever reopen? When will it reopen with work complete?

It's a major freight route, and the diversionary route through Covilha on the PT side reopened before they started on the main line. Definitely open to freight.

 

[nwales58]

Definitely open to freight.

Thanks, my mistake. I had misinterpreted various moans I had read.

 

[WessexEclectic]

A long shot, this: having just read an article about the station at Canfranc, I wondered about rerouting a trip to Spain via the Bedous-Canfranc bus and on to Huesca in early June.

The line on the Spanish side is shown as closed (for dual-gauging work etc) until the end of the current Renfe regional timetable on 18 May. Online searches say the closure is until "May 2024."

Whilst not ideal, the current bus-titution service does give some excellent views (including of the railway itself), especially going southbound around Mirador del Monrepós which the railway avoided for obvious reasons...

Photo taken 24/04/24.

PS doing a search in Spanish (plus auto-translate!) suggests 11 months from mid June 2023 so I might be in luck

The bus-titution notice at Jaca station (observed 24/04/24) seemed to agree with this time frame but YMMV...

 

[30907]

Whilst not ideal, the current bus-titution service does give some excellent views (including of the railway itself), especially going southbound around Mirador del Monrepós which the railway avoided for obvious reasons...
View attachment 157135
Photo taken 24/04/24.



The bus-titution notice at Jaca station (observed 24/04/24) seemed to agree with this time frame but YMMV...

Thanks. Didn't expect a site report
As others have said, I'll wait and see.

BTW I presume it will stay 2tpd?

 

[WessexEclectic]

Thanks. Didn't expect a site report
As others have said, I'll wait and see.

BTW I presume it will stay 2tpd?

Didn't expect to see a thread like this the day I got back from the trip...

Can't see the timetable changing given the nature of the line (single track) and the observed loadings on the replacement bus - myself only at Canfranc (0700LT), building up to about 20 total by Huesca. After Huesca, the actual train could have done with some extra carriages. I mean we are talking about RENFE here...

 

[30907]

Can't see the timetable changing given the nature of the line (single track) and the observed loadings on the replacement bus - myself only at Canfranc (0700LT), building up to about 20 total by Huesca. After Huesca, the actual train could have done with some extra carriages. I mean we are talking about RENFE here...

Did you use the bus from Bedous, as a matter of interest, and was it OK?
And do you have a hotel to recommend in Canfranc? not the Barcelo, way beyond our budget
TIA

 

[WessexEclectic]

Did you use the bus from Bedous, as a matter of interest, and was it OK?
And do you have a hotel to recommend in Canfranc? not the Barcelo, way beyond our budget
TIA

Had the bus to myself - driver was very nice, accommodating my broken Franglais, even stopped to take my photo at the Col du Somport with snow on the ground!

Stayed at the budget 'Albergue Río Aragón' (hostel bunk beds - 17 Euro) although I guess this is probably at the other extreme but did have a dorm to myself with ensuite - *very* low season I guess. I was given a 'ticket' by the hostel to use in the nearby Restaurante Universo (14 Euro for 3 courses + bread + alcoholic drink + coffee - still only 25 Euro walk-in!) - food fairly reasonable, service not quite so much...

BTW at Bedous, SNCF appear to be doing their level best to pretend that it really is the end of the line...

 

[30907]

Had the bus to myself - driver was very nice, accommodating my broken Franglais, even stopped to take my photo at the Col du Somport with snow on the ground!

Stayed at the budget 'Albergue Río Aragón' (hostel bunk beds - 17 Euro) although I guess this is probably at the other extreme but did have a dorm to myself with ensuite - *very* low season I guess. I was given a 'ticket' by the hostel to use in the nearby Restaurante Universo (14 Euro for 3 courses + bread + alcoholic drink + coffee - still only 25 Euro walk-in!) - food fairly reasonable, service not quite so much...

BTW at Bedous, SNCF appear to be doing their level best to pretend that it really is the end of the line...
View attachment 157193

Thanks.


EDITED Tuesday 30/04 1800

Had the bus to myself - driver was very nice, accommodating my broken Franglais, even stopped to take my photo at the Col du Somport with snow on the ground!

Interestingly, the timetable shows half the summer and all the winter services running through the road tunnel to Canfranc then up to the top, despite your experience. Perhaps drivers try to save the tunnel tolls?

Here is the timetable from the Citram website. Note that it connects with the SNCF trains but not with the RENFE service (except a tight southbound one on summer weekends).

 

[HS2isgood]

Well, no trains until at least December between Huesca and Canfranc.

 

[30907]

Well, no trains until at least December between Huesca and Canfranc.

Oh dear, that knocks my plan on the head

Here's an online report - the key point is that the contractor will not complete on time, but no reason is given. It's from a "source."
https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com...s-adif-linea-canfranc-retrasan-101708561.html

 

[WessexEclectic]

Here's an online report - the key point is that the contractor will not complete on time, but no reason is given. It's from a "source."
https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com...s-adif-linea-canfranc-retrasan-101708561.html

At the moment there is no confirmed news about how this unforeseen event will affect the alternative bus transportation plan offered by Renfe to affected users and which was awarded to the company Monbús for 1,094,500 euros (VAT included) in 2023.

Monbus was obviously not offering RENFE a trade discount....

 

[30907]

Monbus was obviously not offering RENFE a trade discount....

I imagine something will be sorted out just in time (The RENFE route to Merida has no trains showing after this weekend, so par for the corso).

 

[nwales58]

(The RENFE route to Merida has no trains showing after this weekend, so par for the corso).

It's what makes Spain so exciting.

Now bookable to 31/05. Busses Monfrague onwards from Monday. Ugh

 

[HS2isgood]

Yeah, due to works at Plasencia, Cáceres and Mérida stations.

 

[30907]

It's what makes Spain so exciting.

Now bookable to 31/05. Busses Monfrague onwards from Monday. Ugh

The alternative route from Puertollano is also bustituted