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Shred's Europe and Asia trips.

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shredder1

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Spain, (Day 1). Saturday 12th September 2020.

Spain, (Day 1). Saturday 12th September 2020. A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, up in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

After reading Man in Seat 61 and the issues with having to book seat reservations on AVE and other long distance and Intercity trains, it was suggested that the Interrail tickets were no longer viable in Spain. However, RENFE now offer a journey ticket, were you buy so many journeys and everything is included, you still have to physically make a reservation, or you can do it on line if you can work it out, but these are free with the journey ticket which is called a Spain Rail Pass. I priced one up on the internet, before leaving the UK and for an 8-journey ticket is cost £300 and they also told me I could buy one at the station when I arrived, what they didn’t tell me was that it would cost me an extra £50. Each trip is booked, one journey per train, so if you break your journey, then you have to buy another one or you`ve simply lost that journey, so It’s not ideal for the sort of thing we do, but it does get you from one end of the country to another and quite quickly, it’s not a great system for enthusiasts, but did seem my best option.

I was travelling with my trusted Ryanair and managed a couple of £25 flights in and out of Madrid. Flying from Manchester on Saturday morning I arrived in Madrid for around 13.00 and after 3 different Metro lines to get to Central Madrid from the airport and the first thing I did was to locate the apartment, a little more expensive than my Central and Western European accommodations, at £150 for 8 nights, but it was clean, had everything I needed and more importantly a 5 minute walk from the main railway station.

My intension was to visit the National Railway museum, which wasn’t too far away from my apartment, but it closed at 15.00 on my day of arrival and was closed all week after that, so sadly that was off the cards. I dropped my rucksack off at the apartment and walked around to Madrid Puerta de Atocha Madrid’s main railway station, but they wouldn’t let me onto the high-speed platforms to take photographs unless I was travelling, and to be fair the high-speed lines are surrounded by security with airport type scanners for all bags as you pass though. I expect brought about by the terrible bombings in the early 2000.

Joined to the main railway station is the suburban station of Madrid Atocha Cercanías, but again I was unable to access the platforms without a ticket, and at this stage I didn’t really know how to get around the network, so I took a walk to the side of the station and found an area of wasteland where I could manage a few photographs of suburban training arriving and leaving the station, and this is basically how I spent my first afternoon in the city, plus I purchased my RENFE rail pass and booked a reservation in readiness for the first trip, out. So, after taking tea in a local Tapas restaurant, I retired back to my apartment to make plans for the following day and also to have an early night as I needed to be up for 05.00. I`d made a reservation on the first AVE down to Malaga and the excitement made if difficult to sleep that night, despite already having had a long day getting there.

 
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shredder1

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Spain, (Day 2). Sunday 13th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, up in Alcudia, so spent many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

My alarm was set for 06.00 and I was on the platforms of Madrid Puerta de Atocha waiting for the first train of the day, the 07.20 to Malaga María Zambrano railway station, even on a high-speed AVE class 103 Siemen Velaro, it still took just over 3 hours. I arrived just after 10.30, Malaga is another modern station, I photographed everything on the railway station and just as I have taken my last shot, the Police told me to stop taking photographs and asked me to leave the station, I said do you not like tourists and he said no, so much for tourist, such a shame this backward thinking still prevails in Spain, they still seem happy to take our money though.

My intention was next to take a train down to La Linea and cross into Gibraltar, had I done my research properly I would have realised my map was the 2013 edition and the line to La Linea had closed and trains now only run from Malaga to Fuengirola, a new underground station and part of Malaga`s suburban network, line C 1. I alighted at Fuengirola and took breakfast in a local café before returning to Malaga Central suburban station and catching the line C 2 service up to Alora. These are the only two suburban lines Malaga has. After returning to Malaga María Zambrano railway station, I booked a reservation back to Madrid Puerta de Atocha, this time on a RENFE Class 112, Duck with modified Talgo stock. The ride back was a smooth one and after taking tea in one of the Tapas bars, I was back at my apartment and ready for another early start the next day.

 

rg177

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Having a trip out of Malaga Maria Zambrano was the first solo thing I did abroad, aged 16. Strange attitude from the police officer though as I've never had any problems on RENFE. There was a policy some years ago that photography was restricted but not nowadays.

I can recommend a trip past Alora as that's the "classic" line to Seville. It sees a smattering of services daily (about three each way) but it's a very pretty ride.

Sounds like you've had a good trip so far. I love some areas of Spain like Madrid and Valencia, some others are a little less friendly!
 

shredder1

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Thank you very much, yes Id like to venture above Alora, possibly next time. I did have a few issues taking photographs on the High Speed stations, particularly Seville, the security is very high in Spain now with Securidad, (Renfe Security), all over every station.
 

shredder1

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Spain, (Day 3). Monday 14th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, up in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

My alarm was set for 05.00 on this Monday morning and again I was back on Madrid Puerta de Atocha waiting for the first train of the day, but this time it was the 06.30 travelling North East towards Barcelona, on a RENFE class 103, Siemens Velaro. I arrived into Barcelona Sants railway station at 09.50. Barcelona Sants is another large underground station, very bland and without character, above ground is the usual modern station facilities and shops. I purchased a ticket for Portbou on the French border, Id last visited Portbou from the French side about 20 plus years ago with my mate Rob. The train was a direct service from Barcelona Sants railway station leaving at 10.16 and taking around two and a half hours for £36. The EMU was a class 449 RENFE regional stock, fitted with a drink machine that had been vandalised. It took the regional lines which largely followed the course of the high-speed lines into France. It was a pleasant ride up to Portbou, with some lovely countryside, a lovely station with a magnificent overall roof. The last time I visited Portbou, a line up of class 269`s were stabled alongside the platforms, on this trip however only 2 RENFE locomotives now stabled there, modern class 253 Bombardier TRAXX.

I returned on the next class 449 EMU back to Barcelona, which was the same unit that took me, departing at 13.25, this gave me around an hour and a half back in Barcelona and sadly not quite enough time to travel on the coast line, so I took tea in the city in a local Tapas bar, I do like by Tapas. I left Barcelona Sants on the 19.00 another class 103, Siemens Velaro getting me back in Madrid Puerta de Atocha for 22.00, a bite to eat, showered and bed ready for another early start the next day. Its hard work this trainspotting.

 

shredder1

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Spain, (Day 4). Tuesday 15th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, North in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

A slightly later start this time, with the alarm set for 06.00 for a train at 08.45, travelling south again, but this time heading for Alicante on the Costa Blanca. Dawn was just showing through as I arrived at Madrid Puerta de Atocha railway station. I was on my first Duck of the trip, a Pato RENFE Class 112 with standard coaching stock. The early mornings were beginning to catch up and I slept some of the way down. I’ve learned that security in Spain is very tight and despite photography being allowed, you still seem to get stopped a lot, so I usually make my way to the rear of trains before I arrive and then take as many images as I can before I get to the ticket gates and get stopped, on arrival at Alicante though I was lucky and managed to photograph all the trains at the platform gates before leaving the station. I was also treated to two RENFE locomotives stabled up too.

I took breakfast in the town and headed for the coastal line, the Costa Blanca, which used to be operated by the Lemon Express, but has since been rebuilt as a Train-Tram line, but still an interesting network, with some of the original station buildings renovated as you move further up the line. Four different routes operate from the small underground Train-Tram terminus at Lucero, which is a 5-minute walk from the main railway station. After taking breakfast in the town, I purchased a rover ticket for the network and went on the first route L2 to “Sant Vincent Del Raspeig”, returning to “Luceros”. I next boarded a train-tram up the coast to “El Campello”, for a change of train-Tram to “Benidorm” and the end of the electric Train-Tram line. At Benidorm you changed over to a diesel Train-Tram which takes you into the mountains and up to “Denia”, but sadly engineering works only allowed me to go as far as “Teulada”, a bus service taking customers the rest of the way. I didn’t bother with the bus, so will have to revisit again sometime. It really is a marvellous line, especially as it climbs above Benidorm towards Calp and its amazing Rock. Returning to Benidorm on the diesel Train-Tram, the Benidorm electric Train Tram was a direct service to Luceros, but I alighted at Lucentum for line 4 and the loop around “PL La Coruna”, before returning to “Luceros”. The only line I didn’t do was L5 to the port, “Porta Del Mar”, but I’ll save that until next time as the network is still extending. I had time to take a few photographs around the station before returning to Madrid Puerta de Atocha, another Tapas bar tried and then back to my apartment for a shower and bed, it had been another great day.

 

Memma

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Thank you for sharing. Sounds like an amazing trip. I did Vienna - Bucharest - Istanbul back in the days when the Bosphor ran consistently and included a sleeping car from Bucharest to Istanbul. Loved it - especially the morning run into Bucharest over the Caprathian Mountains.

Slightly different route, but you're report had me reliving a lot of memories!
 

shredder1

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Thank you very much, I like Bucharest, Im back over there in November, my last sleeper into Istanbul was from Sofia Bulgaria a few years ago, amazing countries, Vienna is another amazing city I`ve visited a few times.
 

shredder1

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Spain, (Day 5). Wednesday 15th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, North in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

I decided to head for Saville as I knew it had been a busy rail centre in the past and still had a depot at the side of the station. I also wanted to travel the line down to Cadiz, there was a direct service to Cadiz, but it didn’t leave until turned 11.00, I had two journey tickets left on the Spanish Rail Pass, so used the first one on the early train to Seville Santa Justa. I arrived into Seville mid-morning, took my usual photographs around the railway station and then got pulled by security, fortunately after I had taken what I wanted.

I then walked around to the locomotive depot and noticed 4 class 319`s in the yard, which I managed to phot from an overbridge. Next, I walked around to the deport with my Spanish begging letter, but they wouldn’t let me around the depot, so I returned to Santa Justa railway station and booked a single ticket down to Cadiz, as I knew a direct service was available around 17.00. It was an interesting journey down to Cadiz, an unusual trip across reclaimed eluvium marshland before arriving at the Port of Cadiz. After photographing both the new and old railway stations, I spent the afternoon having a walk around the city and sampling some of the restaurants and local brews until my direct service back up to Madrid was due to depart. I was treated to a Duck (Pato), RENFE AVE Class 102 on Talgo series VII coaches. We were rerailed from Spanish broad gauge to Standard gauge in the Seville area, a very smooth operation these days, everything goes quiet and you appear to be freewheeling across the gaugers, before the loco picks up again. I arrived back into Madrid Atocha just after 21.00 and another great trip across Spain.

 

Techniquest

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Just got caught up with your adventure, I see you enjoyed the trams in Alicante. I did too when I went in January 2018, didn't do the line to Benidorm as it was buses to Denia back then too. The port line on the trams I am not familiar with, that must be pretty new.
 

shredder1

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Just got caught up with your adventure, I see you enjoyed the trams in Alicante. I did too when I went in January 2018, didn't do the line to Benidorm as it was buses to Denia back then too. The port line on the trams I am not familiar with, that must be pretty new.

Ah buses back then to Denia too, shame, its amazing line. Yes I think the Port line is more recent, they they are also building another line which curves off under a tunnel on the way out. I would have like to see it as the Lemon Express though.
 

shredder1

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Spain, (Day 6). Thursday 16th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, North in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

I Had had my £350 worth of 8 trains on the RENFE pass, plus the extras to get the Alicante train tram ticket at £12 and the return to Portbou at £36 Cadiz one way for £17, and for the next two days I had purchased a suburban ticket for £28.40, I’m just wondering if an Interrail might have been cheaper, although the reservation costs on 8 AVE`s might have tipped the balance, still Id been enjoying the holiday, despite the hassle over photography. For the last two day I wanted to concentrate on the suburban rail network and Madrid`s adjoining station to Madrid Puerta de Atocha, Madrid Atocha Cercanías, which is physically attached to the high-speed station, but at a lower level.

I arrive at Madrid Atocha Cercanías and after some difficulty finding the right ticket and working out where to buy if from, I finally accessed the suburban platforms for the first time during my visit, and armed with my little map, proceeded to travel around the suburban network. The first train I boarded was for the airport, when I arrived into Madrid from the airport, it was via the Metro underground network, that I got to the centre, so I hadn’t been on the airport line, which only goes to terminal 4. However. when the train got as far as Fuente de la Mora, it appeared to stop for longer than at the previous stations, the lights went on and off and an announcement in Spanish came over the tannoy, the train then moved forward and went in to a siding and stopped. The next minute the driver came down the train and in English asked where I was going, the airport I said, or at least that’s what it said on the front of the train, he told me to get off at the next station and an airport train would soon follow, so he took me back to Fuente de la Mora. a similar thing happened to me in Kiev, Ukraine when the train took me into the depot and basically left me there, which was fine by me.
I caught the next train to the airport from Fuente de la Mora and later I returned to Madrid`s second station, Madrid Chamartin. which also has a few platforms dedicated to high speed trainsets, working towards northern Spain. After taking some photographs on the suburban platforms, I found a passage which took me underneath the station to the high speed platforms for a few photographs, and when I went to access the main buildings up an escalator, I was actually on the wrong side of the baggage scanners, security just looked at me and scratched their head and then let me out into the main buildings. I took a break in a café opposite and on returning to the platforms caught a train around the circuit to Madrid Principe Pio, another sizable railway station with a magnificent overall roof.

From Principe Pio I reversed around the circle, which covers some remarkable countryside on the outskirts of Madrid, I returned to Madrid Charmartin, just in time to snap double headed class 334`s with a rake of Talgo stock. I next boarded a train to Alcata de Henares with a charge for a train to the end of the suburban network at Guadalajara.
I returned from Guadalajara to Madrid Chamartin, but passed a freight train on the line back, so I alighted at Alcata de Henares Universidad in order to photograph it has it ran through the station. I next caught a train back to Madrid Chamartin, with a change for a train via Sol to Aranjuas south of the City to another line at the end of the suburban network. From Aranjuas I returned to Madrid Atocha Cercanías, but noticed one of Madrid`s locomotive depots in the Villaverde Bajo area, I could see from the train what looked like withdrawn classes of 252`s, 319` and 269`s, between there and Atocha are the main High-Speed AVE depots, which can also be seen from the train. I didn’t have time really though to explore these depots.

Returning to Madrid Atocha Cercanías, I made my way back to a local bar for a few beers, before heading back to the apartment, Id completed nearly half of the suburban lines, and had an early night, so that I could have an early start for my last day and see if I could knock the rest of them off.

I lay on the bed half awake and half asleep when I heard one might crashing sound just above, that nearly knocked me out of my bed. It was thunder followed by bright sheet lightening and a heavy downpour, I can`t remember experiencing an electric storm of this magnitude for years, and it was to affect my travels the next day.

 

Techniquest

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Ah buses back then to Denia too, shame, its amazing line. Yes I think the Port line is more recent, they they are also building another line which curves off under a tunnel on the way out. I would have like to see it as the Lemon Express though.

Ah fair game, at least if I ever go back to Alicante I will have something to do :lol:

That Lemon Express is something I had not heard of before, I need to see what it is.

You've clearly had a monster of a tour of Spain, even though it has been hugely expensive!
 

Jamesrob637

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Can't wait to hear Fridays adventures after the rain in Spain

Which falls mainly on the plane. Or the train in this case!
 

shredder1

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Spain, (Day 7). Friday 17th September 2020.

A week exploring Spain, something I`d been meaning to do for about 20 odd years now. I had a Spanish brother in law from a previous marriage, who owned two bars on Majorca, North in Alcudia, so spend many years visiting the Island and also exploring the old railway lines, which were operated by FEVE and the Sollier Railway respectively, apart from that I`d only border hopped to places like Portbou and Irun on the old Euro Domino tickets, which was the earlier version of the Interrail Pass. I decided to fly into the centre of Spain, Madrid, and basically used the capital city as a base.

My last full day in Madrid and second day out on the suburban lines to try to finish them off. I was up and out for 05.30 and on an early train down to Humanes, staying on the same train as it returned to Madrid Atocha Cercanías, around the tunnels and back down to Mostoles-El Soto, it was still dark by the time I arrived at the latter, but that was the first two lines of the day in the bag. I returned to Madrid Atocha Cercanías and next caught a train to complete the circuit to Principe Pio and then on to Villalba, but I was stuck there for around an hour and a half because the heavy storm the night before had flushed some of the ballast away from under the track bed away to the north towards the Sierra de Guadarrama range, and teams of engineers were working to reopen the line, so trains were stacking up. In retrospect I should have returned to the city to complete some of the other lines, but still I continued north to Santa Maria de la Alameda Peguerinos and the end of the suburban line in that direction, however the next train only took me as far as El Escorial where I had another hour wait, before eventually catching a train to Santa Maria de la Alameda Peguerinos and then having a two hour wait for a train to return back towards Madrid. My time was not however wasted for a Transfesa Class 335 was taking a waste metal working north and passed me at Villalba, El Escorial and Santa Maria de la Alameda Peguerinos, with the driver and second man waving at each station as they passed through, I also manged to capture a few freight workings on the pass, which included RENFE Mercancios locomotives Class 253`s on a heavy steel coil working.

I eventually returned to Madrid Chamartin, just in time to capture another TALGO working with a RENFE class 334 at the head, and we also passed the TALGO workshops on the way in, an amazing site with lots of graffiti original TALGO stock in the yard and the newer trains in the main buildings beyond them. From Chamartin I next took a train via the Sol loop down to Parla, which is another modern underground station, but the town also has a unique circular tram network, sadly I didn’t have time to travel on it, but did manage a few photographs of the trams in their bright green livery, although it was raining quite heavily by the time I arrived, so I did take a bit of a soaking. Returning to Parla railway station I boarded a direct service to Colmenar Viejo and returned to the junction at Cantobianco Universidad for a train up the next branch to Alcobendas S. S. de los Reyes another modern underground station before returning back down the line to Charmartin and later Madrid Atocha Cercanías. I hadn’t managed the last two suburban lines to Cercedilla C-8 and the continuation to Cotos C-9, but I`d done all the other lines on the Madrid Suburban network.

On leaving Madrid Chamartin to Fuencarral, the line passed by the depot to the North of Madrid and this too had a good selection of locomotives on, some next to the main line, its such a shame I didn’t get chance to try to get near any of the depots, next time though. I made my way back to my apartment, but had an early flight home the next day, so instead of spending my last night in the apartment decided to visit the local tapas bar for the last time and catch the last train to the Airport and spent the night there. So, returning to Madrid Atocha Cercanías, I took the next train up to Madrid Chamartin for my last few photographs and then the last train to the Airport terminal 4. Madrid airport is quite large and I was flying from terminal 1, but a free bus service took me to terminal 1, which appeared quite some distance away. I picked a bench in the terminal and spent the night chatting to a German lad just returning home and it was soon time for my flight back to Manchester, I had to fill out the location form on arrival and then quarantine for two weeks, so I`m presently under house arrest, but it was worth it and Ill be back in Spain again maybe next year. I took my mate Rob with me, or his ashes anyway, I think he enjoyed the free ride, I deposited some of his ashes at Madrid Atocha on the tracks and in the gardens, Barcelona Sant station, Malaga, Portbou, Alicante, Benidorm, Teulada, Seville and Cadiz, many thanks for reading.

 

Jamesrob637

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Funnily enough Madrid cropped up on my Facebook memories today. Two years ago since I was last there. Went to El Escorial too and it was raining. Did one way on the bus and back on the train. Hopped off where that TALGO depot is since there is a Carrefour opposite.
 

shredder1

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Funnily enough Madrid cropped up on my Facebook memories today. Two years ago since I was last there. Went to El Escorial too and it was raining. Did one way on the bus and back on the train. Hopped off where that TALGO depot is since there is a Carrefour opposite.

How nice, I think I read El Escorial is one of the Royal sites, so sory I missed the last branch though to Cotos,
 
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