S2, Ep : 89. Spanish trains evolution explained.

Spanish Loops

Hey Loopers!
Welcome back to another episode of Spanish Loops.

So today, Fran and I are talking about something kind of surprising: the evolution of Spain’s railway system.

And get this... it didn't even start on the Iberian Peninsula! Nope, the first tracks were actually laid overseas. Wild, right?

Soon after, though, the very first railway line did pop up in Spain mainland, and from there it just kept growing.

Fast forward to today, and Spain is now one of the top countries in the world when it comes to passenger train travel. Like, seriously world-class.

But here’s where it gets interesting: foreign companies have entered the game. That whole state-run monopoly thing? Yeah, not so much anymore. And while competition can be good—more trains, better prices, more destinations—it’s not all sunshine and smooth rides.

The downside? More trains + same number of tracks = traffic jams. We’re seeing delays on departures and arrivals that we never used to deal with here.

So the big question is: was it a smart move to invite all this competition without first upgrading the infrastructure? Should Spain have built more tracks before opening the doors?

In this episode, we break it all down—past, present, and what the future might look like.

Trust us, you’re not gonna wanna miss this one!