A 1970 train derailment left a 32 km rail gap between France and Spain, halting cross-border traffic. The historic Canfranc station, once a key transit hub, now operates as a hotel and tourist site.
Train derailment causes bridge collapse
On 27 March 1970, a freight train derailed on the French side, destroying the Estanguet bridge and stopping rail traffic between Spain and France through the valley. The bridge was never repaired, leaving a 32 km gap in the track between Bedous and Canfranc, with an opening planned for around 2035.Canfranc station's grand history
The Canfranc station, inaugurated on 11 July 1928 and officially opened on 18 July by President Gaston Doumergue and King Alphonse XIII, was built at an altitude of 1,195 meters on the Spanish side at the end of the Somport tunnel. The station's main building stretches over 240 meters, with 365 windows and 156 doors, and is described as being as large as the Parisian station of Saint-Lazare.Engineering and gauge challenges
The Somport tunnel, 7,875 meters long, was completed in 1915, while construction of the station did not begin until October 1922, twelve years after initial earthworks at the site. The station was built to facilitate transfers between Spanish and French trains operating on different track gauges.Traffic and post-derailment changes
The French side's Pau-Canfranc line uses a standard gauge of 1,435 mm and was electrified with 1,500 V direct current as early as 1928. The Oloron-Bedous junction opened in 1914, and the Spanish line Saragosse-Canfranc was inaugurated in 1922. However, the anticipated traffic was never realized, with passenger traffic mainly limited to pilgrimage trains and freight mainly consisting of citrus exported to France.Station's transformation over time
After the derailment in 1970, a bus service was put in place between Oloron and Canfranc, which eventually became the definitive means of transport. Since 1970, the station has only been a terminus of the Spanish line. The Oloron-Bedous section lost its passengers on 30 May 1980 and its freight in 1985, but was reopened in 2016 and currently operates with the TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine.Restoration and new uses
On the Spanish side, the historical station was purchased by the Aragon region in 2013, and work resumed in 2018. A new station opened on 15 April 2021 in the former market halls, while the old tracks were decommissioned to create a large public park. The historical building, fully restored, reopened in early 2023 as a hotel, and guided tours now recount the stories of World War II that took place within its walls.Ongoing rail gap and delays
The 32 km gap between Bedous and Canfranc remains closed, with the rehabilitation of the section still pending. SNCF Réseau organized a new consultation from 15 to 30 June 2026 on the resumption of the Pau-Canfranc line, with an opening planned for around 2035. According to Sud Ouest, the project's cost has increased, and the deadline has been postponed by at least a few years.Challenges and current travel options
Previous schedules had planned for the Oloron-Bedous section by 2015 and the Bedous-Canfranc section by 2020. In August 2019, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region announced the start of work in 2021 or 2022 for the Bedous-Canfranc section. Critics of the project cite significant gradients, a winding route, and low profitability as challenges. In the meantime, the journey from France remains hybrid, with replacement buses connecting Bedous to Canfranc in conjunction with the Pau train. Passengers therefore enter the station by road, and not by rail.
