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Aranjuez is a railway station located in the Spanish municipality of Aranjuez, in the Community of Madrid. It has Cercanías (C-3), Media, and Long Distance services. The station also has annexed facilities, called Aranjuez-Mercancías, which serve logistical functions.
Historically, Aranjuez has been a railway hub where several railway lines diverged, including Madrid-Valencia and Aranjuez-Valencia. This has resulted in significant railway traffic, although in recent times the facilities have lost some of their former relevance after the entry into service of high-speed corridors. The main building of the station, which was built by the MZA company between 1922 and 1927 to replace a previous building, is in the Neo-Mudéjar style and has great ornamental richness.
The current station is part of a railway complex formed by various buildings, not only the passenger building, but also others dedicated to train maintenance, staff housing, and other uses, which have been created over the years from the mid-19th century to the first third of the 20th century. After the concession on April 6, 1845, for the construction and operation of the railway line between Madrid and Aranjuez to the Marqués de Salamanca, the station works began on May 4, 1846. With a project by the Green brothers, the line was built under the direction of the engineer Pedro Miranda and his assistants Venancio de la Tejera and Manuel Giménez Ropero. After a halt in the works in 1848 due to economic difficulties, the entire line was finally inaugurated on February 9, 1851. As it provided an outlet to the capital for the products of the Aranjuez orchard, this line soon became known as the Tren de la Fresa (Strawberry Train).
The original station was in front of the Plaza de Armas of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and next to the Quarters of the Spanish and Walloon Guards, and had an exclusive branch for the Crown that reached the Puerta de Damas of the Palace. The building had a facade with a large central arch and four smaller arches on each side.
The successive improvements incorporated into railway technology, as well as the subsequent extensions of the line to Tembleque (1853), Alcázar de San Juan (1854), Albacete (1855), Almansa (1857), Alicante (1858), and the branches to Toledo (1858) and Cuenca (1885), necessitated the construction of a second station in Aranjuez, on the other side of the Carretera de Toledo, to the southwest of the city, which would serve the Cuenca line. Both stations became part of the Madrid-Zaragoza-Alicante Railway Company (MZA) from 1883.
In the 1920s, it was decided to build a new station, which is still in operation. Between 1922 and 1927, a new Neo-Mudéjar style passenger building was erected to replace the other two stations, which ceased to be used. In 1947, the Cuenca line was extended to Utiel and Valencia, increasing the importance of the Aranjuez station. Between 1989 and 1990, restoration work was carried out, uncovering mosaics by Mario Maragliano dating back to the early years of this station (1920s). After the recovery and protection of these mosaics with glass screens, the work was awarded by the Community of Madrid in 1998. Maragliano is also responsible for the mosaics in the main hall of the building, artistically representing the letters MZA, the initials of the company to which the station belonged.
In 2011, the first phase of the works began and was completed in June 2012. This phase focused on restoring the passenger building, specifically the facade, roof, and the craftsmanship of the lobby. It was also used to install access control for passengers. In February 2014, a new phase of restoration works was announced. In this case, the works will proceed to restore the platform canopies, the historic toilet building, and the mosaics of the underpass, threatened by dampness. The construction of a new underpass with escalators and elevators for people with reduced mobility is still pending.
The station is formed by a rectangular and elongated nave with a central body higher than the rest, where the main entrance and the lobby are located. It has a decorated gable with three stained glass windows and three semicircular arches, each with two mullions. At the top, there is a tower with an immense clock. On both sides of the central body, there are two lower naves, with two pavilions at the ends that protrude from the rest. The material used on the facade is exposed red brick, with decorative tiles and a stone base that covers the entire ground floor. At the top, a cornice crowned with dentils, in horizontal succession, creates a sensation of empty and full spaces, giving the station its characteristic touch. In the rear, there are three platforms, each protected by canopies with iron columns. On each platform, there are two gated entrances with stairs, leading to a 32-meter-long underpass that allows passengers to change platforms.
The station has a cafeteria, parking, taxi stand, as well as connections to four urban bus lines in Aranjuez.