Llobregat–Anoia Line

Llobregat–Anoia Line
Overview
Other name(s)El Carrilet, Els Catalans
Native nameLínia Llobregat-Anoia
StatusOperational
OwnerGovernment of Catalonia
Line numberL8, S3, S4, S8, S9, R5, R50, R6, R60
LocaleBarcelona metropolitan area and northern Bages
Termini
Stations41
Service
TypeRapid transit, commuter rail, freight rail
Operator(s)Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)
Depot(s)Martorell Enllaç
Rolling stock
Ridership23,100,222 passenger journeys (2018)[2]
History
Opened
  • 1885 (1885) (Manresa–Guardiola de Berguedà section, as the Manresa to Berga and Guardiola de Berguedà Economical Railway)
  • 1893 (1893) (Martorell–Igualada section, as the Central Catalan Railway)
  • 1912 (1912) (Barcelona–Martorell section)
Technical
Line length138 km (86 mi)
Number of tracks
  • 2 (main route, including the Martorell–Olesa de Montserrat section)
  • 1 (Igualada and freight branches, including the Olesa de Montserrat–Manresa section)
CharacterAt-grade, underground (in Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Cornellà de Llobregat)
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead lines (except the freight branches)

The Llobregat–Anoia Line (Catalan: Línia Llobregat-Anoia) is an unconnected metre gauge railway line linking Barcelona with the Baix Llobregat, Bages and Anoia regions, in Catalonia, Spain. Its name refers to the fact that it follows the course of the Llobregat and Anoia rivers for most of its length. Plaça d'Espanya station serves as the Barcelona terminus of the line, then continuing northwards to Martorell, where two main branches to Manresa and Igualada are formed. It also includes several freight branches, accounting for a total line length of 138 kilometres (86 mi) and 41 passenger stations.

Barcelona Metro line 8, together with a number of commuter and freight rail services, runs on the line's main route between Barcelona and Sant Boi de Llobregat. The section between Barcelona and Olesa de Montserrat is operated as a high-frequency commuter rail system known as Baix Llobregat Metro (Catalan: Metro del Baix Llobregat), with some services continuing northwards to Manresa and Igualada. This system further includes the temporarily closed Olesa de Montserrat–Esparreguera Cable Car, which is also operated by FGC. The Llobregat–Anoia Line is part of the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) fare-integrated public transport system for the Barcelona metropolitan area.

History

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The Llobregat–Anoia Line originated from three formerly separate narrow gauge railway lines: Tranvía o Ferrocarril Económico de Manresa a Berga (opened in 1885), Ferrocarril Central Catalán (opened in 1893) and Camino de Hierro del Nordeste de España, built to quickly and cheaply give passenger and freight transportation to the rapidly industrialising Llobregat area. The Metro del Baix Llobregat designation was first introduced on this line in 2000, and the line 8 service has been formally included in the Barcelona Metro network since 6 November 2003.

Development plans

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Geographically accurate map of Barcelona Metro line 8

In January 2017, the Catalan government approved a plan to extend the Llobregat–Anoia line from Plaça d'Espanya through the city as far as Gràcia station, also stopping at Hospital Clínic and Francesc Macià station, thereby linking with the Barcelona–Vallès Line, at an estimated cost of over €300 million.[3] A second phase is also being considered to extend the line towards the Besòs station in the eastern part of the city.[4]

List of stations

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The following table lists the name of each station on the Llobregat–Anoia Line in order from south to north; a photo of the current station; the rail services operating at the station (L8, S3, S4, S8, R5, R50, R6 and/or R60); the date the current station was opened; the municipality or the city district (in the case of Barcelona) in which each station is located; the fare zone each station belongs to according to the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) fare-integrated public transport system;[5] remarkable notes about the station, including clarifications, additional information and a location map; and usage figures.

# Terminal of a service
* Transfer station
#* Transfer station and terminal
¤ Station located in Barcelona; city district indicated instead of municipality
The train stops at the station
The train skip the station

Station Photo Line(s) Opened Municipality Fare
zone
Notes Usage[b]
Main route
Pl. Espanya#* 1926 Sants-Montjuïc¤ 1 Connects with Barcelona Metro lines 1 and 3.map 1 5.39
Magòria-La Campana 1997 Original at-grade station opened 1912.map 2 0.53
Ildefons Cerdà* 1987 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Connects with Barcelona Metro line 10 (200-metre walk at street level).map 3 1.20
Europa – Fira* 13 May 2007 Connects with Barcelona Metro line 9 (L9 Sud).map 4 1.44
Gornal* 2 Mar 1987 Connects with Rodalies de Catalunya commuter and regional rail services at Bellvitge station.map 5 0.69
Sant Josep 8 Jul 1985 map 6 0.79
L'Hospitalet Av. Carrilet* 9 Jul 1985 Original at-grade station opened 1912. Connects with Barcelona Metro line 1.map 7 1.99
Almeda Cornellà de Llobregat map 8 1.09
Cornellà Riera map 9 1.19
Sant Boi 1912 Sant Boi de Llobregat map 10 1.83
Molí Nou-Ciutat Cooperativa# 13 Feb 2000 map 11 0.68
Colònia Güell No service Santa Coloma de Cervelló 2B map 12 0.04
Santa Coloma de Cervelló map 13 0.12
Sant Vicenç dels Horts 1926 Sant Vicenç dels Horts map 14 0.47
Can Ros# 1972 map 15 0.37
Quatre Camins No service 4 Jul 2003 map 16 0.14
Pallejà No service Oct 2007 Pallejà Original at-grade station opened 1912.map 17 0.23
Sant Andreu de la Barca 20 Nov 2001 Sant Andreu de la Barca Original at-grade station opened 1912.map 18 0.51
El Palau 25 Apr 2002 map 19 0.20
Martorell Vila – Castellbisbal 1912 Castellbisbal map 20 0.03
Martorell Central* 21 May 2007 Martorell 3B Original station opened 1893 as the southern terminus of the Catalan Central Railway. Connects with Rodalies de Catalunya commuter rail services.map 21 0.38
Martorell Enllaç# 1912 map 22 0.15
Manresa branch
Abrera No service No service No service No service No service No service 29 Mar 1922 Abrera 3B map 23 0.12
Olesa de Montserrat#* Olesa de Montserrat Connects with the Olesa de Montserrat–Esparreguera Cable Car, which has been temporarily closed since August 2012.map 24 0.26
Aeri de Montserrat* No service 1930 Monistrol de Montserrat 4Z Connects with the Montserrat Cable Car.map 25 0.11
Monistrol de Montserrat* 29 Oct 1922 Connects with the Montserrat Rack Railway.map 26 0.22
Castellbell i el Vilar 22 Aug 1924 Castellbell i el Vilar 5D map 27 0.004
Sant Vicenç – Castellgalí Sant Vicenç de Castellet map 28 0.11
Manresa Viladordis 16 Jul 1985 Manresa l map 29 0.05
Manresa Alta 1924 Original station opened 1885 together with the Manresa–Puig-reig section of the Manresa to Berga and Guardiola de Berguedà Economical Railway.map 30 0.07
Manresa Baixador# 1969 map 31 0.13
Igualada branch
Sant Esteve Sesrovires No service No service No service No service No service No service No service 1893 Sant Esteve Sesrovires 3B map 32 0.10
La Beguda 1893 Masquefa 4C map 33 0.01
Can Parellada map 34 0.01
Masquefa 1893 map 35 0.10
Piera Piera map 36 0.16
Vallbona d'Anoia Vallbona d'Anoia 5C map 37 0.03
Capellades Capellades map 38 0.05
La Pobla de Claramunt La Pobla de Claramunt map 39 0.03
Vilanova del Camí Vilanova del Camí 6B map 40 0.03
Igualada# 1978 Igualada map 41 0.19

See also

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Maps

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Notes

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  1. ^ Rolling stock data as of 2014.[1]
  2. ^ All usage figures (entry only) are in millions per year for 2014.[6]

References

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  1. ^ FGC (2014), p. 45
  2. ^ "Memòria de Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya" (PDF). Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya. 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Adjudicat el projecte d'FGC a Barcelona entre plaça Espanya i Gràcia" (in Catalan). TV3 (Catalonia). 4 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  4. ^ "FGC L8. Perllongament Plaça Espanya – Gràcia" (in Catalan). Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  5. ^ Integrated Railway Network (PDF) (Map). Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. June 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  6. ^ FGC (2014), p. 47

Bibliography

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