Biographical Dictionary of Iberian Railways
Biographical Dictionary of Iberian Railways
Ribera Dutasta, José Eugenio (1864–1936)
José Eugenio Ribera Dutasta (1864–1936)
In recent historiography of civil engineering, J. Eugenio Ribera stands out in several key areas: as a pioneer and innovator in the use of reinforced concrete in Spain and a promoter of this new material; as an entrepreneur, founding the first construction company dedicated to public works in 1899; as a railway engineer; as a professor at the School of Civil Engineering in Madrid; and as a mentor to great engineers.
The son of a Catalan father, Pedro Ribera Griñó, and a French mother, Jeanne Dutasta Berger, he was born in Lisbon on October 6, 1864, where his father worked as an engineer on the construction of railroads. Trained in Paris, he studied at the School of Civil Engineering between 1882 and 1887. That same year, he entered government service and was assigned to the Public Works Office in Oviedo, where he remained for twelve years. There he began his long career as a bridge builder, constructing metal bridges and, above all, reinforced concrete bridges (more than 500 registered). He designed the first reinforced concrete bridge in Spain, the Golbardo Bridge over the Saja River in Reocín (Cantabria) in 1902; innovative were the Sosa and Albelda siphons (1904 and 1906) for the Aragon and Catalonia Canal; and of great interest due to its widespread use was the drafting of the “Official Models of Arch Bridges” for the Administration (1920–1923). He died on May 17, 1936.
Transportation was one of the cornerstones of J. Eugenio Ribera’s professional life. From childhood, he shared in the adventures of his father, Pedro Ribera Griñó, who was always connected to the railroad—whether in its early days with the Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses, or later with the Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte; or by studying and developing new vehicle systems and rolling stock, such as the locomóvil or “road locomotive.” He published numerous texts and articles on the economic railway, the road railway, railway worker safety, and machinery. In 1899, a family project was proposed with the aim of building a “road railway from Torrelavega to Infiesto and from Arriondas to Covadonga.”
It was in that same year, 1899, that he decided to transfer to the position of supernumerary engineer, leaving the State Corps of Engineers, to devote himself exclusively to the company “Compañía de construcciones hidráulicas y civiles,” which had been founded that same year and which he ran until his death. In his “Final Lecture” at the School of Civil Engineering (1931), he specifically mentioned that he personally oversaw railway projects: “I personally studied, on-site—either on my own initiative or by commission—eight railway projects totaling 530 kilometers in length, of which I will mention only two: the completed line from Tangier to Fez (the Spanish section) and the one currently under construction from Cuenca to Utiel, where many arduous trials allowed me to identify routes that significantly improved upon previous studies.”
Beginning in 1900, Ribera collaborated with the MZA Company, through engineer Ramón Peironcely, on the Albacete–Cartagena line (1899), and on the renovation and construction of the new Huete (Cuenca) station, which was built using reinforced concrete (1900); he was hired to build bridges on the International Lleida-Saint Girons railway; on the Urola railway (1914); on the Alicante-Villajoyosa-Denia railway (1914–1915); and on the railway line from Poveda to Torrejón for the Madrid Sugar Company (bridge over the Henares River). He was hired by the construction company for the narrow-gauge railway from Palencia to Villalón and from Medina de Rioseco to Villeda (1909) to handle infrastructure and masonry work; he was a contractor on the Cienpozuelos–Arganda narrow-gauge railway. As a developer and businessman, he applied for the concession for the electric tramway from Oviedo to Gijón in 1912; the railway from Trubia to Barcena de Quirós (1917); the railway from Prudencio to Oñate (1917); and the railway from Villablino to Cangas de Tinea (1918). These projects are little known, as the role of the builder is often overshadowed by that of the chief engineer in charge of the works—the company’s engineer.
One of his most renowned projects, due to its numerous technical, social, and political challenges, was the design and construction of the Tangier–Fez Railway (1915–1927). Following the establishment of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco in 1912, he was appointed deputy general director of the Franco-Spanish Company of the Tangier–Fez Railway in 1915, a position he held throughout the project’s planning, construction, and operation. Working alongside him were José Sans Soler as deputy chief engineer, and Ramón de Cortazar, Juan J. Luque, Santiago Rodríguez, Rafael Frutos, and Alfonso Rózpide as section chiefs. The contractor was José María Escriña, with whom he carried out many other projects in Morocco, such as the Ceuta–Tetouan Railway.
Eugenio Ribera played a significant role in this railway project. He studied a new route, opting to pass through the coastal town of Arcila, which offered better topographical conditions, a gentler longitudinal profile, and a connecting line to Larache. On January 31, 1916, Ribera presented the complete railway project, including the route, profiles, track sections, and civil engineering works.
From Tangier, Ribera’s route ran through Biban, Cuesta Colorada, Briex, Arzila, Tzenin Sidi Aman, Tzelaza de Raisana, Mehacen, and Alcazarquivir. In the Spanish zone, the line was to cross the Mahrar, Haxef, Garifa, Jelu, Mejacen, Uarur, and Lucus rivers. To span these gaps, he designed independent straight sections made of reinforced concrete. The construction process was complicated. Between 1909 and 1927, there was strong Moroccan resistance, including numerous Berber attacks.
One of his final activities in the railway world was his participation, alongside García Lomas, in the International Railway Congress held in Madrid in 1930. He was commissioned to deliver one of the keynote presentations at the congress on the topic: “De la question de l’electrification des lignes secondaires.” This served as a preparatory document for Section XIX of the congress. The conclusions were ratified by the Association’s Plenary Assembly on May 10, 1930. It was an extensive global study of the evolution of secondary lines in each country.
A comprehensive analysis of all existing secondary lines worldwide: Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania (with the exception of Europe, which was studied by L. Sekutowicz). The objective was to understand their network, the length of their routes, their operating companies, type of infrastructure, passenger and freight traffic, type of traction, the existence of tram lines, their legislation, and their potential for electrification. The study consisted of sixty-nine pages and was published in the Bulletin de l’Association Internationale du Congrès des Chemins de Fer; it was subsequently presented as a keynote paper at the International Railway Congress held in Madrid in 1930.
In his own words, following the Madrid Congress in 1930, he observed that the economic crisis of the railways in Spain had intensified, exacerbated by the global economic depression and, above all, by the formidable competition posed by the automobile. Of great interest are the latest publications recommending railcars.
Ribera’s suggestions, controversies, analyses, and proposals regarding communications, the territory, railways, and transportation networks reflect a comprehensive and forward-thinking perspective. The clarity of his ideas stems from his analytical intelligence, his extensive experience, and his concerns. For this reason, he openly criticizes what he does not believe to be relevant, correct, or economically feasible, as in the case of the direct rail lines planned in the early decades of the 20th century. He views future changes in energy—electricity, petroleum products, etc.—which present new technical challenges, as vital options for transportation and society.
Aguilar Civera, I., (2023), Innovation and Modernity: José Eugenio Ribera, Civil Engineer, 1864–1936, Madrid , Juanelo Turriano Foundation.