Infrastructure

Old Cantoria station

In January 1894, the Cantoria train station was officially opened. The building, constructed in masonry, was one of the infrastructures designed and built by the British company The Great Southern of Spain Railway Company Limited (GSSR), to serve the railway line that linked the provinces of Granada, Almería and Murcia for a century (between 1885 and 1985). This historical connection boosted the trade in minerals and marble, as well as passenger transport in the south-east of the peninsula.

The original complex included a passenger building, toilets, a warehouse with a loading bay and a water tank. It also had two platforms, one behind the main building and the other in front of it. The second platform used to be employed as a regular stopping place for trains, while the first platform probably served as a wagon and goods platform.

In 1985, railway traffic was suspended on the section between Guadix and Almendricos, in Lorca (Murcia), due to economic reasons. However, the Guadix-Granada and Almendricos-Murcia sections, including the branch to Aguilas, remain in operation. This decision negatively affected trade and communications in the Almanzora Valley, disconnecting the Levante region from the south of the country and leaving an important infrastructure in disuse.

Time took its toll on the railway complex, so the town council undertook a project to restore these emblematic buildings. Today, most of the buildings have been renovated, with the exception of the pier, which has disappeared and been replaced by modern constructions. The warehouse is in good condition, although the water supply has disappeared, leaving an empty space in the structure between the door and the upper part of the tank.

Today, the buildings are part of the municipal facilities, housing the Andalusian Employment Service, the headquarters of the Almanzora Development Group, the Cantoria Local Police, the Justice of the Peace and the Women's Centre.

 

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• Rambla del Palomar Viaduct
• Rambla de la Jata Viaduct
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• Rambla de la Hojilla Viaduct
• Cantoria Valley Viewpoint
• Cantoria Tunnel
• Rambla del Lentisco Viaduct
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• Rambla de la Honda Viaduct
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