The Canfranero returns to service between Huesca and Canfranc after a two-year hiatus

The service between Huesca and Canfranc was discontinued in April 2023, more than two years ago , to implement a series of improvements to several sections of the historic line. Since then, many travelers accustomed to the route have turned to road transport, replacing a road that for decades provided the only rail link to the heart of the Pyrenees. This Monday, June 9, the Canfranc line emerges from its slumber.

The reopening of the Canfranero coincides with the completion of construction work on the Plasencia del Monte–Ayerbe and Jaca–Canfranc sections. These efforts have not only consolidated the infrastructure but also reduced travel times . According to the Ministry of Transport, the entire journey between Huesca and Canfranc will now take 2 hours and 35 minutes, almost half an hour less than before the construction work. Behind the scenes, an investment of almost 190 million euros and the fight to demonstrate that comfort, heritage, and the avant-garde need not be mutually exclusive.

CANFRANERO SCHEDULES AND STOPS STARTING JUNE 9

The new schedules include two daily frequencies in each direction. The first train will depart Huesca at 6:15 a.m., arriving in Canfranc at 8:50 a.m. The return journey from Canfranc will run at 9:20 a.m., and another additional service is planned for the afternoon. In total, the service will stop in Plasencia del Monte, Ayerbe, Riglos, Santa María and La Peña, and Jaca, among others. From Zaragoza, the estimated travel time will be just under three and a half hours.

Although ridership has never been massive, the Canfranero has always had more than just a functional value. For many, it’s a way to explore landscapes not visible from the road, passing through tunnels, gorges, and stations that mark the rhythm of the valley and a fundamental part of Alto Aragón that helps us understand the 
Aragonese identity. Its return represents not only the resumption of journeys, but also of stories being rewritten on rails.

ALMOST 100 YEARS SINCE THE INAUGURATION OF THE RAILWAY LINE

The international line, inaugurated in 1928, was closed on the French side in 1970 after a bridge collapsed. Since then, the Canfranero has continued to operate on the Spanish side, with phases of neglect, recovery, and improvement, although it has remained alive with new paradigms not only at the railway level and new technologies in the field, but also with social changes. The latest phase of construction responds to the intentions of the Government of Aragon and the Ministry of Transport, with an eye toward a future international reopening.

In addition to the closure due to the French tunnel, the train has survived the threat of cutting unprofitable lines and competition from private cars. Its leisurely pace and winding layout are part of that Alto Aragón affiliation that cannot be understood without the Canfranero. Each station is a stop with a memory, and each climb toward Canfranc preserves the imprint of a railway project that always aspired to be more than just a regional service.

The wait is over, and on June 9th, the Canfranero departed Huesca once again, heading north, with renovated tracks and the same scenery. And although the line is still awaiting its connection to France, Aragon is back on track.