Second Railway History Conference.
"175 Years of Railroads on the Peninsula (1848–2023): Myth and Reality"
University of Valladolid
School of Economics and Business
Boardroom
In this seminar , on June 22, 2023, several of the most prominent researchers in the history of railroads will gather, as they have devoted their research primarily to this field. The goal is to examine certain “myths”—widely accepted ideas—regarding what are considered the most significant origins, contributions, or consequences of this revolutionary transportation system, the culmination of industrialization processes driven by coal and the steam engine.
In “The Railroad as a Myth of Progress,” we will first examine how contemporary liberals intellectually transformed the railroad into this myth—one capable, on its own, of resolving all the shortcomings of Spanish society. Next, the paper will analyze the extent to which the liberals’ political actions were consistent with this imaginary construct. Finally, it will examine how historiography has normalized this myth without subjecting it to any critical scrutiny.
But the initial myth is that the railroad was born from the fortunate union of two “inventions”—railways and the steam locomotive—and what this naive assertion suggests generally implies a mistaken and one-sided interpretation of both the intrinsic characteristics and the role and importance of the railroad in the evolution of human societies.
A series of myths has surrounded the railroad to this day. And so, the AVE is a revolution comparable to that brought about by the nineteenth-century railroad; the lines closed in 1985 must be reopened; urban underground rail projects are necessary and obvious; the international gauge is the European gauge and a requirement; the modern railroad is a passenger railroad… These and other ideas, which feature prominently in the media and in public debates, will also be addressed in this panel discussion.
Conversely, certain myths have also taken hold. At times, the notion has gained traction that RENFE is an outdated company that embodies all the ills of poorly managed, obsolete, and inefficient public enterprises. We will also have the opportunity here to highlight some of the initiatives and developments undertaken at RENFE during the 20th century that may help dispel that myth.
PROGRAM
10:15: Opening Ceremony: Ms. María del Valle Santos Álvarez (Dean of the School of Economics and Business) and Ms. Mª Concepción Porras Gil (Director of the Simancas Institute of History)
10:30: Presentation: Pedro Pablo Ortúñez Goicolea (University of Valladolid).
11:00: Miguel Muñoz Rubio (Spanish Railways Foundation).
The railroad as a myth of progress.
11:30: Break
12:00: José Luis Lalana (University of Burgos).
The Myth of the Lucky Invention.
12:30 p.m.: Luis Santos and Ganges (University of Valladolid).
Myths of Today.
1:00 p.m.: Domingo Cuéllar (Rey Juan Carlos University).
The Myth of “Renfefobia”: An Obsolete and Inefficient Public Company? Some Signs of Innovation.
1:30 p.m.: Debate.
