Atocha Station

Atocha Station is located in the center of Madrid in an elegant old building. This is the largest transport hub in Spain, primarily a railway one. Trains run in all directions from here on high-speed lines, express and regular. Electric trains, buses and metro trains arrive here. From here they depart to local and international destinations. There is another train station in Madrid - Chamartin.

Description of the attraction

There are no platforms in the old Atocha station building. After the last reconstruction in 1992, a magnificent winter garden with palm trees and other representatives of tropical flora was located under a huge glass dome. A total of 7 thousand specimens were planted. In the station greenhouse there is a fountain and an artificial pond inhabited by a colony of turtles and 22 species of exotic fish. The first specimens of animals were brought by local residents.

The project was carried out by the architect R. Moneo. The garden has become a comfortable place for passengers to wait and for local residents to walk. There are long, comfortable benches throughout the garden. There are cozy cafes and restaurants around. There's even a stylish nightclub open.

The halls and exits of the station are decorated with original monuments. For example, a sculpture of a traveling salesman, or two giant children's heads, one with open eyes, is identified with day, and with closed eyes, with night. The sculptures were made by the Spanish artist A. L. Garcia.

Atocha Station is crowded from early morning. The turnstiles are bustling. For convenient movement of luggage from floor to floor, inclined travelators are installed. After a series of terrorist attacks in 2004, which claimed the lives of innocent people, only passengers with tickets can go to the platforms, and mourners can only go to the turnstiles.

A little history

For the construction of Atocha Station, an ancient gate that was once part of the medieval Madrid city wall was demolished. The gate, like many buildings and structures in Spain, had its own name - Atocha. This is the name of a variety of Spanish gorse - a shrub with bright yellow flowers. In 1851, the station was built and named "Midday Station" - "Estacion Mediodia". After a strong fire, the building was badly damaged.

In 1892 a new station was built. At that time, railways were developing rapidly. A fashion arose for the construction of elaborate stations with luxuriously decorated facades reminiscent of palaces. Alberto de Palacio, a student of the great G. Eiffel, took an active part in the development of the project and construction.

The new station was named Atocha

The station has 13 platforms and 24 tracks. Every day 250 thousand passengers arrive and depart here. Over the year - 90 million people. The train exits are similar to airport terminals. There are soft comfortable chairs for passengers, and the walls are decorated like a high-speed train compartment, behind the windows of which picturesque Spanish landscapes change.

Exhibitions and fairs are held in the Atocha station building. Special pavilions have been prepared for them. The station façade faces Plaza Carlos V and is connected to 2 metro stations.