Infrastructure

Old Horna-Villarcayo Station

The old Horna-Villarcayo station is located at kilometre point 345.6 on the Santander-Mediterranean Sea railway line.

Located at an altitude of 603.81 m, it served the municipality of Villarcayo de Merindad de Castilla la Vieja, in the province of Burgos, and was in operation from 1930 to 1985.

The inauguration of this complex coincided with the opening of the Trespaderne-Cidad section, and it quickly became one of the main stations on the unfinished railway line.

During its years of splendour, Horna-Villarcayo had a wide track yard, a locomotive depot with a 25 m rotating roundabout, and repair shop for the maintenance and repair of wagons. According to the documents found, the Compañía del Ferrocarril Santander-Mediterráneo originally intended to establish the main repair shops of the line in Villarcayo, although this project never materialised due to the lack of completion of the railway.

RENFE took over the management of the line in 1941, with the nationalisation of the Iberian gauge railways. Years later, in 1966, Villarcayo became the last stop for passenger services on the Burgos-Cidad section, becoming a de facto terminal. Little more could be done, bearing in mind that the Santander-Mediterranean Sea line was already immersed in a slow but steady decline, despite which these facilities would remain in operation until the definitive closure of the line on 1 January 1985.

Railway lovers can admire a "Mikado" locomotive, called RENFE 141F-2401, which is still preserved in the old railway enclosure. Afterwards, visitors can always stop to recharge their batteries at the station's rest area.

Otros puntos de interés

• Bilbao - La Robla mining railway
• Old Dosante - Cidad station
• Cidad Tunnel
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Puentedey tunnel
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Old Brizuela station
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Old Escaño halt
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Viaduct over the river Nela
• Old Medina de Pomar station