Toledo is known for its medieval winding streets and its magnificent churches and Alcazar—so when it came time in 1914 to replace the simple station building that had welcomed the railroad in 1858, the city gave itself a station worth of the city’s history.
Complete with all the hallmarks of the city’s neo-Gothic ‘Mudajar’ style, incorporating elements of Moorish styles including the shape of its arches, the station sits on the lowland below the hilly ancient city.
Despite the station’s impressive size and fittings, it no longer plays much of a role in Spain’s rail network: the line that serves it is a high-speed line built in 2005. The old line that continued on was dismantled and Toledo became a terminal. The only trains that serve it are an hourly high-speed train that reaches Madrid’s Atocha in just over half an hour. Anywhere else you want to go requires a change in Madrid.
Old and new ticket windows, above, are quite a contrast.
Glass and tile decorations in the station echo those found in the city’s churches and other important buildings; many of the designs are typical of Moorish styles.
Historic images on the wall show the first days of construction in 1914 and the opening day in 1919.
The station was designed by Narciso Clavería y de Palacios, who designed a number of other neo-Mudejar stations along the line, though none so grand as Toledo’s. In recent years, the station was declared a Property of Cultural Interest, designated a monument and given a complete refresh in time for the arrival of the high-speed line.
The extensive decorations continue on the platform side, if marred a bit by a rain shed which is, however, no doubt greatly appreciated when it rains.
I first encountered the station on a late winter evening about an hour after dark. Leaving the train and entering the dimly-lit main hall, with light from the driveway outside barely piercing the stained-glass windows, I was almost in shock. It was as if I had been transported back hundreds of years—a good introduction to the medieval heart of Toledo.
