the first railway in Spain

Above is a First Day Cover issued by the Spanish Post Office on 2 April 1974 to mark the first railway in peninsular Spain, the 32 km (20 mile) Mataró – Barcelona line which opened on 28 October 1848, instigated by the Catalan businessman and Mataró native Miguel Biada (25 November 1789 – 2 April 1848) whose portrait is in the stamps.

This line now forms part of the RENFE/Rodalies de Catalunya R1 suburban service between L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Maçanet-Massanes.