Reconstruction begins on damaged FEVE lines after northern Spain storm

Northern Spain experienced a destructive Atlantic storm on December 28, 1895, severely affecting several privately operated narrow‑gauge railways along the Biscay coastline. These lines, later nationalized and merged into FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha) in the 20th century, suffered landslides, track washouts, and the collapse of small timber trestles. Particularly hard hit were segments near Santander and Bilbao, where coastal erosion undermined embankments. The storm halted regional rail transport for days and isolated rural communities dependent on the narrow‑gauge system. Contemporary accounts in Spanish engineering journals describe rapid mobilization of track gangs and reconstruction brigades beginning that same day, December 28, to restore operations before the New Year. Although overshadowed by later expansions and nationalization, the 1895 storm became an early test of the resilience of Spain's emerging narrow‑gauge network. It also sparked debates about the vulnerability of 1‑meter‑gauge coastal lines, influencing later engineering choices in FEVE’s 20th‑century modernization.