Barcelona to Madrid the slow route

[peteb]

Having just watched a YouTube driver's eye view from Cerbère to Zaragoza via Reus I'm keen to do the slow train scenic route from Barcelona dep 0909 via Zaragoza to Madrid arr 1807. The train is REGEXP 15701. Has anyone done this route? What's the train formation, is it a unit? I assume there's no catering!! I'd be grateful for any info. Thanks

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I did this route throughout when it was still the 'main-line' and also 5 years ago (Zaragoza to Reus) when it was a 3 car 440/470 EMU (definitely no catering!). It is an extraordinary experience crossing the desert in the searing heat between Zaragoza and Caspe stopping at little wayside halts with seemingly no habitation for miles around. Caspe is like a wild west town in Arizona. The section from Zaragoza climbing up to Guadalajara is also interesting with views of the AVE line which follows it closely with some major engineering works.

 

[peteb]

I did this route throughout when it was still the 'main-line' and also 5 years ago (Zaragoza to Reus) when it was a 3 car 440/470 EMU (definitely no catering!). It is an extraordinary experience crossing the desert in the searing heat between Zaragoza and Caspe stopping at little wayside halts with seemingly no habitation for miles around. Caspe is like a wild west town in Arizona. The section from Zaragoza climbing up to Guadalajara is also interesting with views of the AVE line which follows it closely with some major engineering works.

Sounds fascinating, thanks for the formation info.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I did the Barcelona-Madrid journey on the old line many many years ago (having previously hitch-hiked much of the way from London), it took all day and much of the evening (various delays en route it seemed); searing heat; the train was packed; all water ran out on the train; people hanging out of open doors to get some air. Absolute hell. And then I had to change stations in Madrid late in the evening, needing to get some Spanish money, knowing only a tiny amount of Spanish (luckily I met a helpful couple with whom I could communicate in mutual broken French), and then find how/where to get a ticket for the overnight train to Lisbon - which I caught with just a couple of minutes to spare. It was only knowing that a good friend would be waiting for me at Santa Apolonia - I'd promised I'd make it by that morning - that sustained me.

I hope your trip is more relaxing....

 

[peteb]

I did the Barcelona-Madrid journey on the old line many many years ago (having previously hitch-hiked much of the way from London), it took all day and much of the evening (various delays en route it seemed); searing heat; the train was packed; all water ran out on the train; people hanging out of open doors to get some air. Absolute hell. And then I had to change stations in Madrid late in the evening, needing to get some Spanish money, knowing only a tiny amount of Spanish (luckily I met a helpful couple with whom I could communicate in mutual broken French), and then find how/where to get a ticket for the overnight train to Lisbon - which I caught with just a couple of minutes to spare. It was only knowing that a good friend would be waiting for me at Santa Apolonia - I'd promised I'd make it by that morning - that sustained me.

I hope your trip is more relaxing....

A great story and I'm sure 8 hours on the EMU with no buffet will prompt me to take water! I am rather hoping to include this in a Birmingham to Faro odyssey by slow trains ( or at least those not requiring the inter rail supplement).

 

[dutchflyer]

Have reported on this just by chance-as I did the ride to Tarragona last week and answered a Q here on T-Dia for Barcelona area.
Dep. <9.00 from old estacion de Franca, passes Barca rail tunnel, Sants at suburb. platf dep. 900-was >60 mins late, was a 4 car Regional Expresss elctr.set, heavily graffitied, no excuses/explanation at all about delay, with a very good load of people. I used the also delayed following 9.30 (same route, till Reus), same type of set. JUst after passing Sitges my train stopped, waited, was then going back to Sitges where this Mad set was standing, failed and we loaded its load and our train (no announc at all, nor any excuse/exlanation) then turned into what I later saw was the replacement tren to Mad.-delay then well over 90 mins! Its a 4 car set without any refreshments.
Yes, in the past I have also done this old line-and also some of the variations on it between Zaragoza and Barca- still as espreso or even overnight.
Fares'for this tren fixed 45€ (=roughly same as most bustickets), AVE is demand-responsive and from mostly about 80/88 till well over 125. The now also running low-cost AVLO or Oui-GO (double deck TGV) sometimes offer promotional tix for 9.99, mostly around the 30/40 mark though

 

[peteb]

Have reported on this just by chance-as I did the ride to Tarragona last week and answered a Q here on T-Dia for Barcelona area.
Dep. <9.00 from old estacion de Franca, passes Barca rail tunnel, Sants at suburb. platf dep. 900-was >60 mins late, was a 4 car Regional Expresss elctr.set, heavily graffitied, no excuses/explanation at all about delay, with a very good load of people. I used the also delayed following 9.30 (same route, till Reus), same type of set. JUst after passing Sitges my train stopped, waited, was then going back to Sitges where this Mad set was standing, failed and we loaded its load and our train (no announc at all, nor any excuse/exlanation) then turned into what I later saw was the replacement tren to Mad.-delay then well over 90 mins! Its a 4 car set without any refreshments.
Yes, in the past I have also done this old line-and also some of the variations on it between Zaragoza and Barca- still as espreso or even overnight.
Fares'for this tren fixed 45€ (=roughly same as most bustickets), AVE is demand-responsive and from mostly about 80/88 till well over 125. The now also running low-cost AVLO or Oui-GO (double deck TGV) sometimes offer promotional tix for 9.99, mostly around the 30/40 mark though

Interesting how they seem to manage to run a graffitied set on one of the most scenic routes. The Beziers to Neussargues route in France also suffered from graffitied old sets until last year when at least they brought in some semi decent stock. Shame there isn't a sort of RENFE ouigo classic on this route, a loco and 9 carriages would be infinitely preferable for an 8 hour journey!