RAIL board RENFE sent a 'chartered' train up a mountain in Madrid after snowdrifts prevented hundreds of day-trippers from getting home.
They had gone up to the Cotos ski station by car and coach and then in the mini-train from Cercedilla and Navacerrada.
But the mini-train went down and cars and coaches could not get through.
Regional emergency services sent out a mountain rescue group, part of the fire brigade, and the Red Cross at around 17.00, then an hour later, commissioned a national rail board train.
The RENFE service went to Navacerrada empty, then on to Cotos, returning with nearly 200 people on board.
Coaches were sent out in case of any problems with the train.
A total of 28 snow-ploughs were sent out on the roads in the Sierra de Madrid mountain range at the same time, and between 17.00 and 19.00, some 44 tonnes of salt were spread out by 186 operators.
Roads for which snow chains are necesssary for driving today (Sunday) include the mountain passes of the Morcuera, on the M-611; the Canencia on the M-629, and Navafría on the M-637, whilst the regional government warns drivers to take extra precautions on the mountain passes of La Paradilla and La Cruz Verde on the M-505; El Cardoso de la Sierra on the M-139; La Iruela on the M-137 and La Puebla on the M-130, as well as, of course, the Navacerrada (M-601) and Cotos (M-604) mountain entrances.
