Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
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Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya or FGC is a railway company, which operates several unconnected systems of lines in Catalonia. In total the company operates 140 km (88 miles) of metre gauge track, 42 km (24 miles) of standard gauge track, 89 km (56 miles) of broad gauge track, and two metre gauge mountain railways.
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Barcelona commuter lines
The company operates some of the commuter rail network into Barcelona. All lines are electrified using overhead wires. There are two distinct (and separate) systems:
- The Metro del Vallès and Línia de Balmes lines are standard gauge (1435mm) lines that run from the Plaça de Catalunya to Av. Tibidabo (L7, brown on the map), Reina Elisenda (L6, purple), Sant Cugat de Vallès (S5), Sabadell (S2), and Terrassa (S1).
- The Metro del Baix Llobregat lines are narrow gauge (1000mm) lines that run from the Plaça d'Espanya to Molí Nou-Ciutat Cooperativa (in Sant Boi de Llobregat, L8 - pink on the map), El Palau (S7), Martorell-Enllaç (S8), Olesa de Montserrat (S4), Manresa (R5), and Igualada (R6). There is also a metre gauge freight line to the port of Barcelona from this line, which diverges from the main line near Cornellà-Riera. Along the Llobregat valley, the FGC run on the northern bank through towns such as Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Vicenç dels Horts, Pallejà and on to Martorell (Enllaç), whereas RENFE (line R4) run on the southern bank through towns such as Sant Joan Despí, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Molins de Rei and on to Martorell (though not the same station as the FGC).
The line numbering is as follows:
- L prefixed lines (L for Línia) are treated as part of the Barcelona metro system (which consists of L1-L5 for the metro proper, L6-L8 on the FGC, L9 is a metro line being built and L11 is a short light railway system in the northwest - see Barcelona Metro). These lines used to be known as U6-U8 (U for Urbà).
- S prefixed lines (S for Suburbà) are suburban lines, extending into zone 2 or 3 of the metropolitan fare zones
- R prefixed lines (R for Rodalies) are Interurban lines, extending beyond zone 3. Lines R1-R4 (sometimes C1-C4, C for Cercanías) are operated by RENFE, R5 and R6 are operated by FGC.
Mountain railway lines
The FGC operates two mountain railway lines, both built to metre gauge and using rack propulsion:
- The Montserrat Rack Railway, which runs from Monistrol, on the FGC's suburban line to Manresa (R5), to the mountain-top monastery of Montserrat. This line re-opened in 2003, having originally opened in 1892 and closed in 1957.
- The Vall de Núria Rack Railway, in the Pyrenees mountains of northern Catalonia.
The FGC also operates two funicular railways from the summit station of the Montserrat Rack Railway.
Broad gauge lines
On the 1st January 2005, ownership of the non-electrified broad gauge line from Lleida to La Pobla de Segur passed from RENFE to FGC. This is the most run down line in Catalonia - the stretch from Lleida to Balaguer was upgraded (using second hand track) in the recent past, but from Balaguer northwards the track is in an appalling state. FGC have a number of plans for this line, including increasing the service frequency from 3 trains a day to a 30 minute service from Balaguer to Lleida, along the lines of a commuter railway; replacing all of the track and sleepers; introducing new trains to replace the ancient diesel stock currently used, and promotion of the line to tourists (it passes through some scenic countryside at its northern end). There are even plans to extend the line to the Pyrenees and possibly on to connect with railways in France - the original plan for the line when it was built, but never carried out.
See also
External links
- FGC website (http://www.fgc.net/)ca:Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya