Train travel in Extremadura Spain

[peteb]

Does anyone have up to date information about the type/formation of passenger trains on the Puertollano to Badajoz Iberian guage route and the Seville/Badajoz to Merida/Caceres/Plasencia Iberian gauge routes?

I'm attempting to cover these lines this Spring, along with a run into Portugal from Badajoz.

Thanks!

 

[HS2isgood]

Madrid to Badajoz Alvia trains are class 730 hybrids, everything else in Extremadura is a class 599 DMU. Everything is reservation compulsory. There's also the Badajoz - Entroncamento line, operated by Allan railcars from the late 50's, but they don't look that old.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Exclusively Cl 599 three car DMUs when I was there in October, wiith some but not all through services from Madrid 'Alvia' worked. Plasencia to Badajoz is now electrified but no local EMUs as yet.

 

[HS2isgood]

Exclusively Cl 599 three car DMUs when I was there in October, wiith some but not all through services from Madrid 'Alvia' worked. Plasencia to Badajoz is now electrified but no local EMUs as yet.

Yeah, only the Madrid to Badajoz services are Alvia. The other services from Madrid are 599's. Pretty boring traction, local politicians start complaining whenever a Sevilla depot 598 shows up, 598's are the 599's poor neighbour , with probably the worst availability of all Spanish classes. There won't be any local EMUs for the time being, there's not spare 25 kV EMUs. Whenever they're available, they'll make a 4-times a day local between Plasencia and Badajoz, running twice to Évora.

 

[peteb]

Thanks for those responses folks. I'm largely travelling for scenery and visiting towns, so the DMU traction will have to do!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Sevilla to Zafra is particularly scenic and still has semaphore signalling in places! Heulva to Zafra is also good, but I've never managed to do it as the timetable is so bl**ming sparse and awkward!

 

[peteb]

Thanks for the tip

 

[HS2isgood]

Sevilla to Zafra is particularly scenic and still has semaphore signalling in places! Heulva to Zafra is also good, but I've never managed to do it as the timetable is so bl**ming sparse and awkward!

Zafra to Huelva is bustituted with never ending works since September 2022. I agree with the timetable being a joke, when it runs there's only one 598 to Jabugo (except the northbound Saturday and southbound Sunday, which don't run) and one 599 between Zafra and Huelva on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.