Laura Lalana (University of the Basque Country).
Conveying ideas, transporting people: The evolution of the architectural design at the station.

The passenger terminal is one of the most iconic features of a railway station; indeed, it serves as the link between the railway network and the urban space. Although it has not lost its character as the “gateway to the city,” its functional logic and design requirements have undergone a significant transformation over the centuries.
While this element must have a viable functional program, one of the project’s main constraints is the uniqueness required of its architecture. During the initial development of the railway network in Spain, this was evident in the concept of “out-of-category” stations— that is, those located at major hubs on the network that required a specific design to reinforce the company’s image.
Today, this role of brand image has been supplanted by that of the station as an image of the city. It is not a matter of integrating the building into its surroundings, but rather of creating a clearly recognizable landmark, often associated with a renowned architect as well.
In this context, one might ask whether a dialogue is possible between history and unwritten demands, or between functionality and image. What, after all, is expected of these projects? What is the role of heritage in these spaces?
To reflect on this dichotomy, this paper will analyze the case of the San Sebastián station. Opened in 1863, this station has never served a technical function; situated on a small plot of land that was initially located on the outskirts of the city, it has been reimagined on several occasions throughout its history. PDF

Víctor Sanchís Maldonado and Pablo A. Martín-Grande (Rey Juan Carlos University).
The Strategy of Partial Transit in Perspective: Madrid–Irún, 1870–1903.

In the mid-19th century, some engineers argued that the railroad should not be limited to connecting major markets, but should also incorporate intermediate towns in order to attract additional traffic. This strategy, known as the partial transit system, shaped the design of Spain’s first railway network. However, previous studies have shown that, at least in the 1870s, the partial transit system proved to be ill-suited: the detours attracted little demand in rural areas and unnecessarily lengthened travel times, with the exception of densely populated regions.

The research presented here extends the time frame to the early 20th century, focusing on the Madrid–Irún line in 1903. The aim is to examine whether partial transit, although initially ineffective, could have made sense in the long term, once the country’s socioeconomic conditions—population growth, market development, and changes in the productive structure—had improved. The analysis will be based on historical sources regarding traffic, population, and the local economy, combined with spatial analysis tools and gravity models. PDF

Jesús Enrique Arnaiz Barrero (University of Alcalá de Henares).
Eduardo López Navarro at the Washington Railroad Congress (1905).

In 1905, the experienced Spanish civil engineer Eduardo López Navarro traveled, along with other compatriots, to Washington, D.C., to attend the Railway Congress held there. Although his stay was not limited to attending the event’s sessions, he left behind an interesting and detailed account of the topics discussed during them. This document is an indispensable source of information for the study of the history of Spanish and global railways during those years. PDF

Oscar Abraham Rodríguez Castillo (Autonomous University of Nuevo León) and José Eugenio Lazo Freymann (National Autonomous University of Mexico).
A historiographical approach to the railroad in northeastern Mexico.

Northeastern Mexico features a landscape of stark contrasts. On one hand, there is the vast semi-desert that stretches from northern Coahuila to Nuevo León; on the other, the vast plains with sparse vegetation, which in Tamaulipas slope steeply down to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, the Sierra Madre Occidental, whose peaks rise over three thousand meters above sea level, divides the region into two parts.
In the three states comprising this region, railroads were built to connect the center of the country with the northern border, as was the case with the Ferrocarril Central and the Ferrocarril Nacional. Shortly thereafter, other railways were built, such as the International Railway and the Gulf Railway, with the aim of meeting the demand for raw materials from the foundries established in the city of Monterrey.
In this sense, the northeastern railways had and continue to have strategic importance for the country. Consequently, this paper begins with the research question: How is the region comprising the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas represented in the historiography of rail transport? What types of approaches have been taken, and to what extent is there a balance between national and regional studies? What lines of research remain to be explored?
To answer these questions, we will begin with a historiographical review of the railroad in the northeast to identify the lines of research that have been developed and the role attributed to this mode of transportation in the region’s economic, political, and social dynamics. PDF

Unai Alvarez Arbonies.
Memories of the Train in Zumárraga.

The railroad is part of Zumárraga’s collective identity, as three railway companies once converged there: Norte, the first to arrive and a magnet for the others; Durango-Zumárraga/Vascongados; and Urola. Although it was the last to arrive, the Urola Railroad is the one with which most of the population identifies. This railway ran through the valley from the coastal town of Zumaya to Zumárraga, in the interior of the province of Gipuzkoa. Nicknamed “Gure trena” (“our train”), it was not just a means of transportation, but a vital link connecting the towns of the valley, bringing them closer together and improving communication between them. It became an everyday fixture that set the pace of local life, used by many as their primary means of transportation. Most residents over the age of 50 recall riding this train to go to the beach in the summer, especially given the difficulty of taking vacations elsewhere, which fostered a strong emotional bond and romantic memories.
Zumarraga established itself as a major regional railway hub, where the three aforementioned companies converged: Norte, a national company operating on Iberian gauge, and Durango-Zumarraga/Vascongados and Urola, which were more regional in nature and used metric gauge. Thanks to its status as a railway hub, the town underwent a transformation from a rural village to an industrialized and urbanized town. This structural change attracted domestic immigration and spurred the growth of the town center, which expanded to form a single urban center with the neighboring town of Urretxu.
Today, the railroad remains a defining feature of the municipality, especially the Urola line, due to the romantic nostalgia associated with “Gure trena.” Traces of that past still remain, such as the old Urola station, currently in a state of disrepair, or the North Station, now operated by Renfe and still in service, which remains the primary means of transportation for the town’s residents. PDF

Mariano Veiga de la Torre.
The Mollet del Vallès–Caldes de Montbui Railway in Retrospect: Route, Territory, and Heritage.

This article offers a reflection on the value of the railway’s heritage through a study of the former Iberian-gauge line between Mollet del Vallès and Caldes de Montbui, popularly known as the Calderí. Opened in 1880 and closed in 1950, this line has largely disappeared from the physical landscape, but its memory persists in the collective memory of the region’s inhabitants, in oral histories, in local documentation, and in the few physical remnants that still remain.
The proposal presents a tour of the main sites linked to the line—stations, bridges, and converted sections—analyzing how these places are evoked, preserved, or reinterpreted by local communities. Based on fieldwork combined with oral sources, historical press, and archival documentation, the railway route is reconstructed from a territorial and memorial perspective.
The aim is to highlight the role of memory as a fundamental dimension of railway heritage, especially in cases where physical remains are scarce. In this sense, the Calderí serves as a significant example of how the railroad can remain present in a territory’s identity through the intergenerational transmission of memory, helping to enrich the debate on the preservation of the railroad legacy from a comprehensive perspective that integrates territory, history, memory, and community. PDF

Leandro Stacchini(University of Florence).
Branch lines and abandonment policies: a comparison between Italy and Spain (1945–1970).

Between 1945 and 1970, both Italy and Spain undertook far-reaching reforms of their national transportation systems. In both cases, modernization efforts focused primarily on strengthening the main rail corridors and expanding road mobility, while secondary rail lines—often the only means of access for peripheral areas—were progressively dismantled, neglected, or replaced by bus services.
This study proposes a historical comparison of the closure policies that affected these minor lines and their effects on territorial inequality in both countries. Based on an analysis of institutional, statistical, and corporate sources, it highlights how the removal of this infrastructure disproportionately impacted regions that were already economically and structurally fragile, fostering processes of isolation, depopulation, and the decline of local economies.
The analysis also addresses the political and administrative dynamics that accompanied these transformations, the often weak or non-existent responses from local institutions, and the growing subordination of rail transport to criteria of economic profitability.
Within this framework, the historical reflection aims to contribute to a broader debate on the role of infrastructure as a vector of cohesion or inequality. It is argued that the decisions made during a period of postwar economic expansion left lasting marks on the socio-territorial fabric of Italy and Spain. PDF