Mr Henderson’s Railway, a British line in the heart of Spain

135 years ago, the British opened a railway in Spain to connect Gibraltar to Europe and make Andalusia more accessible. Today, Mr Henderson’s Railway remains one of the most scenic railway routes on the Iberian Peninsula. It leads through mountains, tunnels and bridges, passing white towns and landscapes that were once the realm of…. bandits.

Why did the British build the tracks in Spain?

Gibraltar’s strategic location made it a key point for the British navy from the 18th century onwards. After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the importance of the 'Rock’ increased further. However, there was a lack of a rail link to transport goods and people deep into Spain and further into Europe.

Spanish law proved to be a problem – a royal decree forbade the British to run a railway line directly from Gibraltar. So a workaround was found: the new route was started from Algeciras, just a few kilometres from British territory.

The railway was not only to serve trade. It also gave officers and residents of Gibraltar the opportunity to escape the summer heat northwards to the cooler regions of Andalusia. To attract travellers, the luxurious Reina Cristina Hotel was built near the station at Algeciras and quickly became a meeting place for the political, military and artistic elite. King Alfonso XIII of Spain, Orson Welles and Winston Churchill, among others, stayed here.

Henderson, Morrison and Andalusia – „bandit country”

The line was named after Sir Alexander Henderson – a British financier who supported engineer John Morrison to build the track. The task was not easy, as 19th-century Andalusia was considered a dangerous area – full of bandits hiding in the mountain forests.

Travelling by land was risky at the time, with mule caravans and stagecoaches often falling victim to robberies. The situation was only changed by the establishment of the Guardia Civil in 1844, whose patrols guarded safety on the roads and during the construction of the railway. As a result, Morrison and his team were able to complete the project in 1892.The train proved more difficult to attack than the slow stagecoaches, and the new line quickly became popular.

Mr Henderson’s Railway route: from the Bay of Gibraltar to the mountains

The journey begins in Algeciras, the southernmost station of mainland Europe. From here, the three-car train departs three times a day, heading north. The first kilometres of the route are already a sight to behold: the glittering Bay of Gibraltar, cork forests, ochre fields and the Guadiaro River cutting through the valley. The train climbs laboriously along a single-track line, gradually approaching the Serranía de Ronda mountains.

The journey takes around three hours and the carriages negotiate as many as 16 tunnels and 20 bridges, climbing almost 800 metres above sea level. The route fully captures the charm of old-time rail travel – the nostalgic rhythm of the journey, the proximity to nature and the unchanged landscapes of Andalusia over the centuries.

Interestingly, a restaurant called Estacion, or more accurately… Station, has opened at San Pablo de Buceite station. Its terrace overlooks the train tracks, of course, and as the train arrives around 1pm and the next one around 5pm, there is time for a leisurely Spanish-style lunch, from appetiser to dessert and coffee. The place is lively, hosting exhibitions, concerts and even flamenco shows.

Also at Arriate station, one of the white villages near Ronda, there is a restaurant – El Muelle de Arriate. In summer, there is a spectacular view of the Sierra de las Nieves mountains from a terrace along the railway line.

Stations on the Mr Henderson’s Railway route

• Algeciras: main railway station in the port city of Algeciras.
• Los Barrios: station near the village of Los Barrios, on the Campo de Gibraltar.
• San Roque La Linea: station close to the mountain town of San Roque and La Linea de la Concepcion, a border town with Gibraltar.
• Almoraima: station for the fortified Moorish town of Castellar de la Frontera and other rural villages. Located in the beautiful setting of the Alcornocales National Park.
• Castellar: the station has been closed and demolished, with only traces of the buildings and sidings remaining.
• Jimena de la Frontera: station in Los Ángeles, below the pueblo blanco Jimena de la Frontera.
• San Pablo: a station in the small village of San Pablo de Buceite with an excellent restaurant.
• Gaucin: station 8 km from Gaucin, in one of the most famous Andalusian villages, El Colmenar.
• Cortes de la Frontera: station below the village, at the end of the Cañón de las Buitreras trail.
• Jimera de Libar: a station in a small village and the start of the Guy Hunter-Watts trail.
• Benaojan Montejaque: station at the bottom of Benoajan village, and the end of the Guy Hunter-Watts trail.
• La Indiana: currently closed, but a possible station to visit.
• Arriate: station in a village near Ronda, known for its restaurant in a former goods warehouse.
• Ronda: the main station in the village where Welles and Hemingway fell in love.
• Parchite: a closed and demolished station of which only the foundations remain.
• Setenil: a station located outside the famous white village of Setenil de las Bodegas.
• Almargen – Cañete la Real: station in Almargen village, where water tanks and lamp supports remain.
• Teba: the station is now closed, with very little left of it.
• Campillos: station located outside the village of Campillos.
• Bobadilla: a station on the Córdoba-Malaga line from 1865.
• Antequera Santa Ana: a 2006 modern station on the high-speed line from Córdoba to Málaga.

Alan Grant from Málaga, Spain, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A nostalgic journey through the pueblos blancos

Today, the line still operates, although steam locomotives and wooden carriages have given way to modern trainsets with air conditioning. Tickets remain available and relatively cheap, with a one-way journey costing €18.70 and a two-way costing €29.90.

However, the journey still takes passengers back to the golden age of railways. From the windows you can see the whitewashed pueblos blancos stuck to the mountain slopes, flocks of sheep in the pastures, olive and citrus groves. A particularly impressive point is the station at Gaucín, from where you can walk to the spectacular Cañón de las Buitreras, or Vulture Canyon.

Each station along the route has its own character. At Jimera de Líbar, travellers can stop at the Allioli bar right next to the platform, while in Ronda – a historic town on the famous cliffs – original Victorian-era features remain: cast-iron lamp supports and manual track switching levers.

Mr Henderson’s Railway is a legacy that endures

Although more than 130 years have passed, Mr Henderson’s Railway has retained its unique character. More than just a means of transport, it is also a living history museum that reminds us of British ambitions in Andalusia, the golden age of rail travel and the days when bandits lurked in the mountains.

Main photo: Juan Enrique Gilardi, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons