The Tharsis railway line, also known as the Tharsis-Río Odiel railway, was a Spanish narrow-gauge railway of mining industrial nature that operated between 1871 and 2000. It served as one of the most important railroads in the province of Huelva.
The railway line was built in the second half of the 19th century to provide an outlet to the sea for the minerals extracted by the British Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company from its deposits in the Tharsis-La Zarza mining basin. It opened in 1871 and was among the province of Huelva's first railways. Its tracks had a gauge of 1220 millimeters, which was unique in Spain. The transportation service was operational for over a century until its discontinuation in January 2000. It primarily transported minerals and goods, with some passenger service available for several decades.
Most of the railway has now been dismantled, although a small part of the Tharsis-San Bartolomé section is abandoned and no longer in use. In 2014, some of its infrastructure was added to the Andalusian Historical Heritage Catalog as a good of cultural interest. A portion of the mobile railway heritage has been conserved and presented in various locations throughout the province.
History
Origins and construction
The Tharsis-La Zarza region has a rich history as a mining basin, yet it wasn't until the 19th century that it became more extensively developed. In the 1850s, French engineer Ernest Deligny requested mining concessions from the State as part of a project that included the construction of a railway line to provide a maritime outlet for the mined minerals.
However, due to financing difficulties, the initiative was ultimately abandoned. The British Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company Limited, which owned several mines in the Tharsis region of Huelva and had taken over the railway concession from French investors, was eventually commissioned to build the line. The engineers at "Tharsis" company modified the original proposal by introducing several technical changes. In 1867, the Spanish government approved a plan for the construction of the line, and work began shortly thereafter. The line was completed on May 9, 1870, but it wasn't until February of 1871 that it opened to traffic. The total cost of the project was 193,382 pesetas at the time.
Peak period
The 47 km long railway line was the second to be built in Huelva province, following the inauguration of the Buitrón to San Juan del Puerto railway in 1870. The route ran from the Tharsis mines to the port of Corrales, situated on the Odiel River, near Huelva city. The track's gauge of 1220 mm made it unique within the Spanish railway system, since it was a very uncommon gauge. An iron wharf-dock of 809 meters in length was built on the Odiel River, with a single track. Afterwards, additional branches were added to the mainline: in 1881, a 15-kilometer section to the Lagunazo mine, and in 1888, another 30-kilometer branch extending from the Empalme station to the La Zarza mine. Railway complexes featuring multiple tracks and auxiliary installations were built in Tharsis, Corrales, and La Zarza.Throughout its existence, the Tharsis railway line had a significant fleet of engines and rolling stock, consisting of over 100 steam locomotives and nearly 1,000 ore wagons. While the primary purpose of the line was always mineral transportation, passenger services began in the late 19th century at the request of local residents. On July 19, 1881, a special train inaugurated the first service between the Corrales dock and the Medio Millar station. Due to a limited passenger service offering, only two trains, one ascending and one descending, covered the route once a week. The company purchased mixed 1st and 2nd class cars, as well as 3rd class cars. In 1884, passenger stations were established at Tharsis, Alosno, and Puntal de la Cruz.
The branch line to La Zarza's inauguration considerably increased mineral traffic. In the 1890s, thirteen trains were authorized to travel in each direction. The outward journey took 2 hours and 23 minutes, while the return journey took 2 hours and 19 minutes. The railway traffic reached its peak in the middle of the 20th century, when almost one million tons of ore were transported annually.
Modernization to decline
Passenger traffic on the mining railroad continued until 1967 when it was discontinued. Steam traction usage decreased and was fully terminated by 1969.
In the 1970s, the railway line was acquired by the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis, which subsequently continued operating it.