Iberian-gauge railways

Iberian gauge (Spanish: ancho ibérico, trocha ibérica, Portuguese: bitola ibérica) is a track gauge of 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in), most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal. A broad gauge, it is the second-widest gauge in regular use anywhere in the world, with only Indian gauge railways, 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm), being wider (by 8 mm (5⁄16 in)).

As finally established in 1955,^[1] the Iberian gauge is a compromise between the similar, but slightly different, gauges adopted as respective national standards in Spain and Portugal in the mid-19th century. The main railway networks of Spain were initially constructed to a 1,672 mm (5 ft 5+13⁄16 in) gauge of six Castilian feet. Those of Portugal were instead built to a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) and later railways to a 1,664 mm (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge of five Portuguese feet – close enough to allow interoperability with Spanish railways.^[2]

^ Christian García Enseleit (November 2010). "Sistemas automáticos de cambio de ancho de vía en España" [Automatic gauge changing systems in Spain] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
^ The gauge of the early Portuguese lines built to the "English" (later: international) gauge was subsequently altered to Iberian to ensure interoperability – Assim, em 20 de Junho de 1860, funda a Companhia Real dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses que se propõe explorar as Linhas do Norte e do Leste e as linhas de que posteriormente obtivesse concessão. Thus, on June 20, 1860, founded the Society of Real Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses it proposes to exploit the lines of North and the East and the lines that subsequently obtain concession. De imediato a Companhia Real muda a bitola (1,44 metros) da linha já construída entre Lisboa e Asseca (68 Km.), passando-a para a bitola ibérica, com 1,67 metros, sem haver qualquer interrupção no serviço ferroviário. From immediate changes to the Company Real gauge (1.44 m) of the line already built between Lisbon and of Asseca (68 km), passing it to gauge the Iberian, with 1.67 metres, without any interruption in rail service. "Pequena história dos Caminhos de Ferro em Portugal" [Short History of the Railways in Portugal]. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2009-10-13. [1]

[1] Christian García Enseleit (November 2010). "Sistemas automáticos de cambio de ancho de vía en España" [Automatic gauge changing systems in Spain] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2021-12-05.

[2] The gauge of the early Portuguese lines built to the "English" (later: international) gauge was subsequently altered to Iberian to ensure interoperability – Assim, em 20 de Junho de 1860, funda a Companhia Real dos Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses que se propõe explorar as Linhas do Norte e do Leste e as linhas de que posteriormente obtivesse concessão. Thus, on June 20, 1860, founded the Society of Real Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses it proposes to exploit the lines of North and the East and the lines that subsequently obtain concession. De imediato a Companhia Real muda a bitola (1,44 metros) da linha já construída entre Lisboa e Asseca (68 Km.), passando-a para a bitola ibérica, com 1,67 metros, sem haver qualquer interrupção no serviço ferroviário. From immediate changes to the Company Real gauge (1.44 m) of the line already built between Lisbon and of Asseca (68 km), passing it to gauge the Iberian, with 1.67 metres, without any interruption in rail service. "Pequena história dos Caminhos de Ferro em Portugal" [Short History of the Railways in Portugal]. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2009-10-13. [1]

[1]

[2]