Linares-Baeza – Moreda

The section of railway between Moreda and Linares/Baeza belongs to line 410, which links Linares/Baeza and Almería. The interest in the construction of this line stems from the economic importance of the Linares-La Carolina mining basin in the 19th century, one of the main ones in Spain, which had a great deal of mining, metallurgical and industrial activity. Its construction was included in the Railway Framework Law of 1870, however, the difficult orography of the area, which made its construction complex, caused it to be delayed for two decades, until 1889, the year in which the Banco General de Madrid obtained the concession for its realisation, a concession that would soon be transferred to the CCHSE, Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Sur de España (Railways of Southern Spain). [1]

The route that was actually built underwent significant changes with respect to the original project, with the transport of goods being prioritised over that of passengers. The idea of serving the large towns along the line, such as Úbeda or Baeza, was abandoned and the arrival of minerals, mainly iron, to the port of Almería was optimised.

In July 1890 construction began on the line, specifically the section between Almería city and Gádor. Work on this section was greatly affected by the Sierra Mágina mountain range, as it presented great difficulties for traversing with the technology of the time. [1] [3] The stations at Almería and Linares-San José, at either end of the line, were completed in 1893. [4]

The section between Almeria and Guadix was opened in July 1895 and later the Baeza-Empalme and Quesada sections were inaugurated, at the end of 1985 and Guadix-Moreda in 1986. [1] [4] It is interesting to note that the new line under construction was connected to the general line of Andalusia, controlled by MZA, the Railway Company of Madrid to Zaragoza, via the Baeza-Empalme station.

Finally, in March 1899, after the major works on the Guadahortuna and Salado viaducts had been completed, the line between Linares and Almería officially entered into service. [4]

Five years later, an extension was built to link the facilities of the CCHSE company in Linares with the Baeza-Empalme station and the MZA line. This completed the construction of the route, with the Linares-San José station becoming the starting point of the line. [5]

During its operation, significant challenges were encountered in the mineral traffic on the section between the stations of Gergal and Santa Fe, due to the steep gradient. In response to this difficulty, the section was electrified in February 1912. This work was pioneering in the Spanish railway system, as it was one of the first electrified lines to be put into service. In 1918, the good results obtained led to the electrification of the section between Santa Fe and Almería. [6]

From 1916 the line was managed by the Compañía de los Ferrocarriles Andaluces, which acquired its ownership in 1929 when it was annexed to the CCHSE. [3]

From 1941, within the framework of the nationalisation of the Iberian gauge railway in Spain, the Linares-Almería line became part of the RENFE network, which in 1964 replaced steam traction with diesel locomotives and eliminated electrification due to compatibility problems with its systems. [7] [8] The original bridges and viaducts, such as the Puente del Hacho, were replaced in the 1970s by new infrastructures that were built in parallel, and today these dual infrastructures can be seen at various points along the line. [9]

In 1961 the Linares-San José station was closed to passenger services and finally closed in 1975, which led to the removal of the section linking the Baeza-Empalme and Linares-San José stations, with the historic Linares-Baeza station becoming the head of the line.

The steep gradient between the stations of Doña María-Ocaña and Gergal, which forced freight trains to use quadruple diesel traction for about six kilometres of the route, and the difficulties that this entailed for the rail service, led to a diversion being built on the route which was put into service in June 1987, thus closing the Nacimiento station and several kilometres of the old route.[10]

In 1996 the closure of the Marquesado mines, and therefore the loss of what was one of its main traffics, initiated the decline of the line.

Since January 2005, with the division of RENFE into Renfe Operadora and Adif in accordance with Railway Sector Law 39/2003, the line came under the control of the latter, like the rest of the RFIG railway lines.

The section of line between Moreda and Almería is going to be completely renovated, together with the line between Granada and Moreda, as it forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network via the Mediterranean Coastal Corridor. On 10 October 2024, the Ministry of Public Works announced the award of the contract for the comprehensive renovation of the line, with the aim of increasing the capacity for freight trains to travel up to 750 metres between Granada and Almería. The project for its electrification is also out to tender.

Renfe currently offers Long Distance Intercity Talgo services on the Linares-Baeza line, which connects the cities of Almería and Madrid. This service is the only one available after the Ministry of Public Works and Transport cancelled the medium-distance services between Linares-Baeza and Granada in 2013. The luxury Al-Andalus train, which offers tourist services, also runs occasionally on this line.

The line has a certain tourist potential derived from its industrial mining heritage, evidenced by the remains of chimneys and industrial ruins. It also has interesting examples of civil engineering from the end of the 19th century, such as the various viaducts that mark the route: the Santa Fe viaduct over the Andaraz river, the Salado viaduct, the Hacho viaduct and the Anchuron bridge. The route passes through areas of extensive olive groves and crosses the Sierra Morena, with its landscapes of holm oak and cork oak forests. The stations are generally very far from towns and cities, which makes it difficult to exploit them for tourism. Among them, the picturesque Linares-Baeza station stands out, located in a peaceful setting, surrounded by olive groves and close to the Guadalimar river, and the Moreda station, a historic railway location that has been used for film productions. The buildings of the other stations are all of the same type and have an undeniable charm. They are in good condition and practically all are closed, with the exception of some such as the Moreda station, which in 2024 still has an Adif traffic control centre, or the Jódar-Ubeda station.

Category B1.
Non-electrified track with concrete sleepers in a reasonable state of repair.