Iberian-gauge railways
Iberian gauge (Template:Lang-es, Template:Lang-pt) is the name given to the gauge (distance between the two rails of a track) most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal: namely 1668.
As finally established, the Iberian gauge is a compromise between the similar, but slightly different, gauges first adopted as respective national standards in Spain and Portugal in the mid-19th century. The main railway networks of Spain were initially constructed to a 1672 gauge of six Castilian feet, those of Portugal to a 1664 gauge of five Portuguese feet – close enough to allow interoperability in practice.[1].
Why the difference from international standard gauge?
A commonly cited reason for the adoption of this gauge, broader than what emerged as the international standard, is that it was intended to obstruct a repetition by rail of French invasion attempts. Much more likely, however, is that it was a technical decision: a wider gauge allowed for the running of more powerful locomotives, (i.e. larger boilers but particularly larger fireboxes) on lines which had to be constructed through mountainous terrain.[2]
Adoption of the international gauge in Spain
Since the beginning of the 1990s new high-speed passenger lines in Spain have been built to the international standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), to allow these lines to link to the European high-speed network. Although the 22 km from Tardienta to Huesca (part of a branch from the Madrid to Barcelona high-speed line) has been reconstructed as mixed Iberic and standard gauge, in general the interface between the two gauges in Spain is dealt with by means of gauge-changing installations, which can adjust the gauge of appropriately designed wheelsets on the move. [3] [4]
Plans exist to convert more of the Iberian-gauge network in Spain to standard gauge, an indication of which is the use, on several stretches of recently relaid broad-gauge track, of concrete sleepers pre-drilled with additional bolt holes allowing for repositioning of one rail to adjust the track to international gauge.[citation needed][5]
References
- ^ The gauge of some early Portuguese lines built to the "English" (later: international) gauge was subsequently altered to ensure interoperability – Assim, em 20 de Junho de 1860, funda a Companhia Real dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses que se propõe explorar as Linhas do Norte e do Leste e as linhas de que posteriormente obtivesse concessão. Thus, on June 20, 1860, founded the Society of Real Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses it proposes to exploit the lines of North and the East and the lines that subsequently obtain concession. De imediato a Companhia Real muda a bitola (1,44 metros) da linha já construída entre Lisboa e Asseca (68 Km.), passando-a para a bitola ibérica, com 1,67 metros, sem haver qualquer interrupção no serviço ferroviário. From immediate changes to the Company Real gauge (1.44 m) of the line already built between Lisbon and of Asseca (68 km), passing it to gauge the Iberian, with 1.67 metres, without any interruption in rail service. [1] [2]
- ^ Aristogeronte - El ancho de vía en los ferrocarriles españoles
- ^ Talgo Date=2008-09-04
- ^ :: CAF - Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, we create railway solutions ::
- ^ Verkehrsrundschau, 2007-04-30