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Date Published: 07/09/2022

Oldest railway station in Europe closes its doors in Spain

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The Sant Andreu Comtal station in Barcelona was inaugurated in 1854

Oldest railway station in Europe closes its doors in Spain

First launched on July 23, 1854, Europe’s oldest active railway station, the Sant Andreu Comtal in Barcelona, has finally closed its doors and been replaced by a newer, more modern building nearby.

The iconic train station was located in a 19th century single-story structure in Plaça de l'Estació, but it actually got its name from the Rec Comtal next door, a historic hydraulic infrastructure which provided water for Barcelona’s industry, mills and farmland in days gone by.

Built around the year 1000 by Count Miró, the irrigation store was first supplied with water from the Besòs river; more modern technology allowed it to be fed by an underground aquifer in La Mina de Montcada and later also from La Casa and Aguas de Montcada.

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Incredibly, the Rec Comtal still irrigates small areas of arable land and remains of the original structure can be seen in the Plaza Primero de Mayo and the Puente de la Vaca. Sadly, some of the more interesting aspects, such as the Roca agujereada, have been lost.

The Sant Andreu Comtal (formerly called Barna-San Andrés) railway station is owned by Adif and is located on the Barcelona-Girona-Portbou line, with a stop for Cercanías de Catalunya trains on lines R2 and R2 Norte. Sant Andreu, in turn, is a station on L1 of the Barcelona metro.

The Girona line station came into service in 1854 when the railway line connecting Barcelona and Granollers was inaugurated.

After more than 150 years of service, Spain’s oldest railway station closed its doors for the last time on August 31 in favour of its replacement, located just a few hundred metres away.

Also of interest: These are the Spanish cities with the cheapest public transport

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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