The flawed planning of the Spanish Railway Network (1844–1865)

The General Railway Law of 1855 neither established a comprehensive layout of the Spanish network nor set priorities for the construction of lines. Although it drew on earlier projects, pressure from local interests softened the final text, leaving the definition of routes largely to companies operating under individual concessions and guided by profitability. State intervention was limited to financial support, technical supervision, and, in specific cases such as the connection with Portugal, the promotion of dedicated studies. The analysis of legislative sources, engineering projects, and parliamentary debates, contrasted with recent historiography, shows that the Spanish model resulted in a hybrid system: despite adopting French-style administrative requirements, the definition of routes resembled the British experience, as it lacked a framework of centralized planning. The law introduced little that was new in normative terms, but its effectiveness lay in securing parliamentary compromise. This case highlights the limits of state-led planning in mid-nineteenth-century Europe and the decisive role of private initiative in shaping railway networks.