Madrid City Council has given the green light to the Special Plan for Delicias station, a Cultural Heritage site that houses the Railway Museum. The project, covering an area of 12,786 square metres, aims to highlight the historical elements of the building.
Delicias station, inaugurated in 1880 by King Alfonso XII and his wife María Cristina, is preparing for a new phase. The City Council has approved the Special Plan that will allow for the comprehensive recovery of this monumental space, currently home to the Railway Museum. The goal, according to municipal sources, is to "highlight the historical elements as a new exhibition framework for the past, present and future of the railway and integrate them into the urban environment."
The project affects an area of 12,786 square metres. The Special Plan establishes the urban framework that will develop the Master Plan and subsequent projects. The intervention seeks to characterise the space with elements that do not disrupt the original architectural qualities while allowing for the introduction of updated museography. The aim is for society to be able to "delve into the knowledge of the railway as a driver of progress from its origins to the present day," according to the council.
Delicias station was the first major monumental station in the capital, as Atocha was then a humble dock. Designed by French engineer Émile Cacheliévre, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel, its style belongs to the so-called "iron architecture," a 19th-century movement that utilised the properties of cast and wrought iron, as well as glass, to create airy and lightweight buildings. The large metal and glass nave made it a very advanced facility for its time.
Delicias ceased passenger service on June 30, 1969, and its freight activity definitively ended in 1971. The opening of Chamartín station and the lack of passengers led to its closure. Since 1984, the building has housed the Railway Museum, which showcases one of the most complete collections of historical material in Europe. The museum also offers information services and conservation of documentary heritage through its library, newspaper archive, historical archive, and documentation centre.
The now-approved Special Plan safeguards the architectural integrity and historical value of this Cultural Heritage site, maintaining the designated uses and the presence of the museum. The various projects being drafted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda contemplate the comprehensive recovery of the old passenger building and the metal nave. The idea is for the station to regain all its splendour as an exhibition and cultural space, integrated into the Delicias neighbourhood.
For the capital's residents, this renovation represents the enhancement of an icon of Madrid's industrial heritage. The City Council emphasises that the intervention will be carried out "under constant criteria of quality and innovation," in line with the work that the Railway Museum has been doing since its inception. No specific timelines or budget for the project have been detailed, as these will depend on the development of the Master Plan.
Delicias station was once the starting point for trains to Portugal, boosting trade and industrial exchanges. Alfonso XII himself highlighted at its inauguration that "the sound of locomotives is fundamental to the prosperity of the country." Now, more than a century later, the City Council wants that legacy to continue being a cultural and heritage reference for Madrid.
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