Scenic route
El Canfranero
Zaragoza → Canfranc · Spain
View on the map →Wikipedia (ES) ↗
Reopened in June 2025 after two years of works, the line climbs to Europe’s grandest abandoned border station, shut since a 1970 bridge collapse.
How this line was checked
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: 96.5% of this line lies within 250 m of real track (median 8 m); the longest stretch away from it is 7.5 km
- Checked against the running timetable via ÖBB Scotty: our line sits under 100 m from the shape of R 15640
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
- See for yourself: open this line on the map with OpenStreetMap's own railway drawn underneath it
Questions and answers
How long is the El Canfranero?
The El Canfranero runs 224 km from Zaragoza to Canfranc.
How long does the El Canfranero take?
The fastest scheduled journey is ≈ 3 h 20 min for the 224 km. That is an average of 67 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 100 km/h.
Who runs the El Canfranero?
Renfe.
How old is the El Canfranero?
The line has been in service since 1928. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
How often does the El Canfranero run?
3 direct trains on a weekday (counted on 2 September 2026).
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More train routes in Spain.