Madrid Station - Puerta de Atocha - Almudena Grandes

On February 9, 1851, Spain's second railway line (linking Madrid and Aranjuez) was inaugurated, along with the city's first train station, Atocha, which at the time was a simple wooden platform.

The station was later expanded in 1865 and 1892. Its most distinctive feature from the latter year is the roof of the main hall, designed by the French engineer Henri de Saint-James. It measures 152 meters long, 48 meters wide, and 27 meters high, and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.

Following the renovation carried out by Rafael Moneo between 1984 and 1992, Atocha station is now a complex comprised of two stations: the old and the new.

The new station is dedicated to rail traffic – the AVE high-speed train terminal, long-distance trains, and commuter rail network – while the old station has been converted into RENFE offices and a commercial and leisure complex. This complex features a tropical garden (temporarily closed for renovations) with over 100 plant species, including some 70 large, medium, and small palm trees and approximately 1,000 other plant species. Among the services offered to visitors are premium restrooms located in the commuter rail and tropical garden areas. For one euro (which is refunded as a discount in the station's shops), visitors can access toilets (with contactless technology); showers; and health check stations (for taking blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation, weighing, calculating body mass index (BMI), and measuring height). A breastfeeding room with a changing table, microwave, and an armchair for mother and baby; a family room with an adult toilet, a child's toilet, and a changing table; a free water station; separate restrooms for men and women; and motivational mirrors displaying real-time weather information, hygiene tips, etc. The restrooms also include a room for people with disabilities. The Cervantes Train departs from Atocha, allowing you to discover Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of the author of Don Quixote. Since November 19, 2022, the station has been renamed Madrid - Puerta de Atocha - Almudena Grandes in memory of the great Madrid-born writer, who passed away in 2021.