The R11 is a line of Rodalies de Catalunya's regional rail service, operated by Renfe Operadora. It runs northwards from the Barcelona area to the French border town of Cerbère, passing through the Vallès Oriental, Selva, Gironès and Alt Empordà regions. With a total line length of 172 kilometres (107 mi), it extends notably beyond the limits of the Barcelona metropolitan area, reaching the Pyrenees mountains.
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Regional rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Barcelona and Girona provinces, Catalonia |
| Predecessor | Ca2 |
| First service | 2010 (as R11) |
| Current operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
| Route | |
| Termini | Barcelona Sants Portbou/Cerbère |
| Stops | 28 |
| Distance travelled | 172 km (107 mi) |
| Average journey time | 1 h 19 min–2 h 40 min |
| Service frequency | Every 30–60 min |
| Line(s) used | |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | 447 Series, 449 Series and 470 Series EMUs |
| Track gauge | 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge |
| Electrification | 3,000 V DC overhead lines |
| Track owner(s) | Adif |
R11 trains run primarily on the Barcelona–Cerbère railway, using Portbou and/or Cerbère as their northeasternmost terminus, and Barcelona Sants as its southwestern one. They use the Aragó Tunnel in Barcelona, where they share tracks with Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona suburban lines R2, R2 Nord and R2 Sud and regional rail lines R13, R14, R15 and R16, calling at Sants and Passeig de Gràcia stations,[1] while they continue to share tracks with Barcelona commuter rail service R2 Nord as far as Maçanet-Massanes, and with the Girona commuter rail service RG1 from Maçanet-Massanes to Portbou.
The Maçanet-Massanes-Portbou section had not previously been considered part of the Barcelona commuter rail service; designated Ca2, the services running on it were part of Renfe Operadora's regional rail division in Catalonia.[2] In 2010, after the administration of the Barcelona commuter rail service was transferred to the Catalan government, the line was passed from the Catalan regional rail division to Rodalies de Catalunya.[3]
History
editThe current line scheme of the R11 started operating on 1 January 2010, after the transfer of the services from Media Distancia Renfe to the Generalitat of Catalonia. Earlier, all the regional rail services carrying out the line Barcelona-Girona-Figueres-Portbou were branded as Ca2 for the Catalan rail division, and 33 in the nationwide regional rail network. Before 2014, it was the only conventional line to serve the cities of Girona and Figueres (excluding the high-speed lines), until the creation of the Girona commuter rail service RG1, running from Barcelona to Figueres initially, being later extended to Portbou.
Infrastructure
editLike the rest of Rodalies de Catalunya lines, the R11 runs on the Iberian gauge mainline railway system, which is owned by Adif, an agency of the Spanish government. All of the railway lines carrying Rodalies de Catalunya services are electrified at 3,000 volts (V) direct current (DC) using overhead lines. The R11 operates on a total line length of 172 kilometres (107 mi), entirely double-track. The trains on the line call at up to 28 stations, using the following railway lines, in order from south to north:[4]
| From | To | Railway line | Route number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona Sants (PK 99) | Aragó Junction (PK 108.3) (after Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia station) |
Madrid–Barcelona | 260 |
| Aragó Junction (PK 108.3) (after Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia station) |
Sant Andreu Comtal (PK 113.2) | Aragó Tunnel | 268 |
| Sant Andreu Comtal (PK 113.2) | Cerbère (PK 275.9) | Barcelona–Cerbère | 270 |
All of the infrastructure used by the R11 is shared with other services. Between Barcelona Sants and Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia stations, it shares tracks with Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service lines R2, R2 Nord and R2 Sud, regional rail lines R13, R14, R15 and R16, as well as a number of long-distance services to southern Spain, using the Aragó Tunnel through central Barcelona.[5][6] After Passeig de Gràcia, R11 trains R2 Sud trains, together with the R13, R14, R15 and R16, as well as long-distance services, branch off to Barcelona's Estació de França, terminating there. R11 services continue northwards through the Aragó Tunnel, calling at El Clot-Aragó railway station, and share tracks with the R2 and R2 Nord only.[7] North of Mollet-Sant Fost railway station, Barcelona commuter rail service line R8 and several freight services join their route. The R8 terminates further north at Granollers Centre so that the R11 only shares tracks with the R2 and freight services from this point on up to Maçanet-Massanes.[8] From Maçanet-Massanes, R11 trains share tracks with the Girona commuter rail service RG1 and freight trains for the remainder of their journey.
Operation
editAll services that initiate from Barcelona Sants as their southern terminus terminate at either Girona, Figueres or continue all the way to Portbou and Cerbère. All services terminating at Cerbère call at all stations. Trains terminating at Girona, Figueres or Portbou, run either calling at all stations, or stopping at only some stations. The first trains run about 6:00 in the morning, with the latest arriving at about 11:00 at night.
The designation of the services on the line depends on the route they operate. Services calling at all stations are branded as R (Regional), operated by RENFE Class 447 trains, while semi-fast services are branded as MD (Media Distancia/Mitjana Distancia), operated by RENFE Class 449 trains, Renfe Operadora's newest rolling stock for regional lines, and are more expensive than R trains..[9]
| Service | Route | No. of stations |
Journey time | Days of operation |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Barcelona Sants – Cerbère | 28 | 2 h 40 min | Daily | Calls at all stations along its route. |
| Barcelona Sants – Portbou | 27 | 2 h 36 min | Daily | ||
| MD | Barcelona Sants – Portbou | 12 | 2 h 13 min | Daily | Calls only at Barcelona Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona El Clot-Aragó, Sant Celoni, Maçanet-Massanes, Sils, Caldes de Malavella, Girona, Flaçà, Figueres and Llançà. |
| Barcelona Sants – Figueres | 10 | 1 h 51 min | Daily | Calls only at Barcelona Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona El Clot-Aragó, Sant Celoni, Maçanet-Massanes, Sils, Caldes de Malavella, Girona and Flaçà. | |
| Barcelona Sants – Girona | 8 | 1 h 21 min | Fri-Sun | Calls only at Barcelona Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona El Clot-Aragó, Sant Celoni, Maçanet-Massanes, Sils and Caldes de Malavella. |
List of stations
editThe following table lists the name of each station served by line R11 in order from south to north; the station's service pattern offered by R and/or MD trains; the transfers to other Rodalies de Catalunya lines, including both commuter and regional rail services; remarkable transfers to other transport systems; the municipality in which each station is located; and the fare zone each station belongs to according to the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM Àrea de Barcelona) fare-integrated public transport system and Rodalies de Catalunya's own fare zone system for Barcelona commuter rail service lines.[10][11]
| # | Terminal of a service |
| * | Transfer station to other transport systems |
| #* | Transfer station and terminal |
| ● | Station served by all trains running through it |
| ○ | Limited service station |
References
edit- ^ "Xarxa Rodalies de Catalunya" [Rodalies de Catalunya System] (PDF) (Map). Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ Ribas Domingo, Santi; Pujol i Gil, Jordi (March 2005). "Estudi de la xarxa ferroviària de viatgers a Catalunya" [Study on the passenger rail network in Catalonia] (PDF). Planejament Territorial de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia: 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Traspàs de rodalies a la Generalitat de Catalunya" [Transfer of commuter rail services to the Government of Catalonia]. Mobilitat (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Listado de líneas y estaciones" [List of railway lines and stations] (PDF) (in Spanish). Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Government of Spain. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ^ Borràs, Bernat. "Xarxa de via ampla – XC08. Línia Barcelona-(Aeroport)-Vilanova-Picamoixons" [Broad gauge system – XC08. Barcelona-(Airport)-Vilanova-Picamoixons line]. trenscat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ Borràs, Bernat. "Línia R11 Barcelona Sants – Portbou per Granollers Centre i Girona" [Line R11 Barcelona Sants – Portbou via Granollers Centre and Girona]. trenscat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- ^ Borràs, Bernat. "Xarxa de via ampla – XC15. Estacions i línies de la ciutat de Barcelona" [Broad gauge system – XC15. Stations and lines in the city of Barcelona]. trenscat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Borràs, Bernat. "Xarxa de via ampla – XC02. Línia Barcelona-Girona-Portbou" [Broad gauge system – XC02. Barcelona-Girona-Portbou line]. trenscat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Borràs, Bernat. "Rodalies de Catalunya – Serveis regionals" [Rodalies de Catalunya – Regional services]. trenscat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ Integrated Railway Network (PDF) (Map). Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. August 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Servei de rodalia de Barcelona" [Barcelona commuter rail service] (PDF) (Map). Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. 20 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
External links
edit- Rodalies de Catalunya official website
- Schedule for the R11 (PDF format)
- Official Twitter accounts by Rodalies de Catalunya for lines R11 with service status updates (tweets usually published only in Catalan)
- Geographic data related to R1 at OpenStreetMap
- R11 (rodalia 11) on Twitter. Unofficial Twitter account by Rodalia.info monitoring real-time information about the R11 by its users.
- Information about the R11 at trenscat.cat (in Catalan)