Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (, "Catalan Government Railways"), or FGC, is a
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
company which operates several unconnected lines in
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
The lines operated include metro and commuter lines in and around the city of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, tourist mountain railways, and rural railway lines. They include of gauge route, of route, of route, and of
broad gauge
A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways.
Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...
route, making the FGC one of the few railway companies to operate on four different gauges.
Whilst most lines are conventional
adhesion railway
An adhesion railway relies on adhesion traction to move the train. Adhesion traction is the friction between the drive wheels and the steel rail. The term "adhesion railway" is used only when it is necessary to distinguish adhesion railways from ...
s, the FGC also operates two
rack railway
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
s and four
funicular railways
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep grade (slope), slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached ...
.
In 2018, the network carried 87.2 million passengers.
History
![Caixer FGC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Caixer_FGC.JPG)
FGC was founded on 5 September 1979 to manage lines whose ownership was transferred from the state-owned
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
to the
Generalitat of Catalonia
The Generalitat de Catalunya (; oc, label=Aranese, Generalitat de Catalonha; es, Generalidad de Cataluña), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia politically organizes its self-government. It is formed b ...
in 1978 as part of the process of regional
devolution
Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
under the
Spanish Constitution of 1978
The Spanish Constitution (Spanish, Asturleonese, and gl, Constitución Española; eu, Espainiako Konstituzioa; ca, Constitució Espanyola; oc, Constitucion espanhòla) is the democratic law that is supreme in the Kingdom of Spain. It was e ...
. Its oldest line, the standard gauge ''
Línia Barcelona-Vallès'' however dates back to 1863 which was built and operated by Companyia del Ferrocarril de Barcelona a Sarrià from 1863 until 1874, and Ferrocarril de Sarrià a Barcelona (FSB) (with Ferrocarrils de Catalunya (FCC)) from 1874 until severe financial difficulties forced FSB and FCC to be acquired by FEVE in 1977, which operated it until FGC took over the line in 1979. The second oldest line the ''
Llobregat–Anoia line
The Llobregat–Anoia Line ( ca, 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 o ...
'' was opened in 1892 as an
interurban tram using metre gauge tracks, which was taken over by the Companyia General dels Ferrocarrils Catalans (CGFC) in 1912 and transformed it into a train line; CGFC being later taken over by FSB and FCC, followed by the broad gauge
Lleida – La Pobla de Segur line in 1951 and operated by
Renfe until it was transferred to FGC in 2005–2010.
Barcelona metro and commuter lines
FGC operates some of the
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
network in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. Voice announcements and signs on trains and stations of lines operated by FGC are exclusively in the Catalan language, unlike in the lines operated by
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) is the main public transit operator in Barcelona. A combination of two formerly-separate companies, ''Ferrocarril Metropolità de Barcelona, SA.'' and ''Transports de Barcelona, SA.'', it runs most of th ...
and
Renfe which remain bilingual or trilingual (Catalan, Spanish or "Castellano" and eventually English) in order to serve a large and diverse userbase. All lines are overhead DC
electrified
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source.
The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
at 1.5 kV. There are two distinct (and separate) systems:
* The
Metro del Vallès
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
and
Línia de Balmes are 8 standard-gauge lines that run from
Plaça de Catalunya railway station to
Av. Tibidabo (L7, brown on the map),
Sarrià Sarria or Sarrià may refer to:
*Sarrià, Barcelona, a neighbourhood in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
**Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, the Barcelona district containing Sarrià
** Sarrià Stadium, a former football stadium in Sarrià, Barcelona
**Sarrià (Bar ...
(L6, purple) and
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès (; es, San Cugat del Vallés, link=no) is a town and municipality north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Known as ''Castrum Octavianum'' in antiquity (which literally means ''the castle of Octavianus'') and as ''Pins del Val ...
(S5), and then on to
Sabadell
Sabadell () is a city in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental and its joint capital (co-capital), on the River Ripoll, north of Barcelona. Sabadell is located above sea level.
Sabadell pioneered the Ind ...
(S2) or
Terrassa
Terrassa (, es, Tarrasa) is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona, ''comarca'' of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell.
The name ''Terrassa'' derives from Latin ' ...
(S1). In rush hour some of them only arrive at Universitat Auntònoma (S6) or at Rubí (S7). The eighth line is the L12, a shuttle subway service between Sarrià and Reina Elisenda.
* The
Metro del Baix Llobregat and Llobregat–Anoia line are metre-gauge lines that run from the
Plaça d'Espanya railway station to
Molí Nou-Ciutat Cooperativa (in
Sant Boi de Llobregat, L8 - pink on the map),
Martorell-Enllaç (S8) and then on to
Olesa de Montserrat
Olesa de Montserrat is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Llobregat, in Catalonia, Spain.
Olesa de Montserrat is well known around the nearby places because of its olive oil and textile production, but especially because of its Passion play ...
(S4) and
Manresa
Manresa () is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographical centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are ...
(R5), or
Igualada
Igualada () is a municipality in the province of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia River and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona Railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the ...
(R6). There is also an unelectrified metre-gauge freight line to the port of Barcelona, which diverges from the main line between Sant Boi and Cornellà. Along the
Llobregat valley, FGC runs on the right bank through Sant Boi de Llobregat,
Sant Vicenç dels Horts,
Pallejà
Pallejà () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Llobregat in Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by i ...
and on to Martorell (Enllaç), whereas the broad gauge
line R4 runs on the left bank through towns
Sant Joan Despí
Sant Joan Despí (; ) is a city and municipality located in the Baix Llobregat area ( Barcelona province in Catalonia, Spain). It is situated on the left bank of the Llobregat river. ''Es'' is a dialectal form of the masculine article ''el'', hen ...
,
Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Feliu de Llobregat () is an industrial city and municipality in Catalonia, Spain, in the province of Barcelona. It is the capital of the comarca of Baix Llobregat, and the see of a bishopric since June 2005.
Geography
Sant Feliu is situated ...
,
Molins de Rei
Molins de Rei () or Molins de Rey in Spanish is a municipality located 18 km from Barcelona's city centre, in the ''comarca'' of Baix Llobregat in Catalonia, Spain.
It is situated on the left bank of the Llobregat river, on the A-7 ''au ...
and on to Martorell.
The line numbering is as follows:
* L-prefixed lines (L for Línia - line) are treated as part of the Barcelona metro system, which consists of L1-L5 for the metro proper, L6-L8 on the FGC, L9 and L10 partially open and partially under construction, and L11, a short light rail line system in the northwest - see
Barcelona Metro
The Barcelona Metro (Catalan and Spanish: ) is an extensive network of rapid transit electrified railway lines that run mostly underground in central Barcelona and into the city's suburbs. It is part of the larger public transport sys ...
. L6 and L7 used to be known as U6 and U7 (U for Urbà - urban), while L8 was formerly known as S3.
* S-prefixed lines (S for Suburbà) are suburban lines, extending into metropolitan fare zone 2 or 3.
* R-prefixed lines (R for
Rodalies) are Interurban lines, extending beyond zone 3. Lines R1-R4, R7 and R8 are run by
Rodalies de Catalunya
Rodalies de Catalunya (, ; "Commuter Rail of Catalonia") is the main commuter and regional rail system in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia. It is administered by the Government of Catalonia and operated by the national rail operato ...
(currently operated by
Renfe), R5 and R6 are run and operated by FGC.
Mountain railway, tourist and funicular lines
![Brill18](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Brill18.jpg)
The FGC operates three
mountain railway
A mountain railway is a railway that operates in a mountainous region. It may operate through the mountains by following mountain valleys and tunneling beneath mountain passes, or it may climb a mountain to provide transport to and from the sum ...
lines:
* The
Montserrat Rack Railway
The Montserrat Rack Railway ( ca, Cremallera de Montserrat, ) is a mountain railway line north-west of Barcelona in Catalonia. The line runs from Monistrol de Montserrat to the mountain-top monastery of Montserrat.
The line is long and h ...
, which runs from
Monistrol, on FGC's suburban line to Manresa (R5), to the mountain-top
monastery of Montserrat
Santa Maria de Montserrat () is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict located on the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was f ...
. This line re-opened in 2003, having opened in 1892 and closed in 1957. It is of metre gauge using the
Abt rack railway
A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...
system.
* The
Vall de Núria Rack Railway
The Vall de Núria Rack Railway ( ca, Cremallera de Núria, ) is a mountain railway in the Pyrenees mountains in the north of the Catalonia region of Spain. The line connects Ribes de Freser with Queralbs and Vall de Núria in Ripollès, Giron ...
, in the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
mountains of northern Catalonia. This is also of metre gauge using the Abt rack railway system, and the two lines, although many kilometres apart, occasionally swap stock.
* The
Ferrocarril Turístic de l'Alt Llobregat, which runs from
La Pobla de Lillet to
Clot del Moro, also in northern Catalonia. This line is of gauge, and operates using adhesion only.
[
The FGC also operates four ]funicular railways
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep grade (slope), slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached ...
:
* The Funicular de Sant Joan
The Sant Joan Funicular ( ca, Funicular de Sant Joan; es, Funicular de San Juan) is a funicular railway at Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, ...
, from the upper station of the Montserrat Rack Railway to the summit of the mountain of Montserrat.
* The Funicular de Santa Cova, also from the upper station of the Montserrat Rack Railway to a nearby shrine.
* The Funicular de Gelida
The Gelida Funicular ( ca, Funicular de Gelida; es, Funicular de Gelida) is a funicular railway in the municipality of Gelida in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects Gelida station, on the RENFE (''Spanish National Railways''), with the centre ...
, connecting the town of Gelida
Gelida is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' ...
with its railway station.
* The Funicular de Vallvidrera
The Vallvidrera Funicular (both Catalan and Spanish:Funicular de Vallvidrera) is a funicular railway in the Barcelona district of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, in Catalonia, Spain. It connects Peu del Funicular station on the Barcelona–Vallès Line wi ...
, connecting a station on the Metro del Vallès suburban line to the top of the Tibidabo
Tibidabo () is a hill overlooking Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At , it is the tallest hill in the Serra de Collserola. Rising sharply to the north-west, it has views over the city and the surrounding coastline.
The summit of the hill is occupie ...
hill.
Broad-gauge lines
On 1 January 2005, ownership of the non-electrified broad-gauge line from Lleida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
to La Pobla de Segur
La Pobla de Segur is a municipality located in the comarca of Pallars Jussà, province of Lleida, Catalonia, in northern Spain. According to the 2013 census (INE), the town has a population of 3,073 inhabitants. It is situated at the confluence of ...
passed from Renfe to FGC. This is the most derelict line in Catalonia — the stretch from Lleida to Balaguer
Balaguer () is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Noguera, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It is located by the river Segre, a tributary to the Ebre. The municipality includes an exclave to the east. Balaguer also has a sister city i ...
had been upgraded (using second-hand rails) in the recent past, but from Balaguer northwards the track was in an appalling state. FGC has a number of plans for this line, including increasing the service frequency from three trains a day to a 30-minute service from Balaguer to Lleida, along the lines of a commuter railway; replacing all the rails 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 were even plans to extend the line to the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
and possibly on to connect with railways in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
— the plan when the line was built, but never carried out. Recent budget cuts had left the line in a worse state than it was on Renfe days, with then three daily services from Lleida to Balaguer and only one running the whole length up to La Pobla de Segur.
, the service on the line is as follows:
* Monday to Friday: 1 train Lleida - La Pobla de Segur and return (RL2), 3 trains Lleida - Balaguer and return (RL1)
* Saturday: 1 train Lleida - La Pobla de Segur and return, 2 trains Lleida - Balaguer and return
* Sunday: 1 train Lleida - La Pobla de Segur and return, 2 trains Lleida - Balaguer and return
However, as of 2019, the service has improved, following the introduction of new Stadler GTW
The Stadler GTW is an articulated railcar for local transport made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. GTW stands for Gelenktriebwagen (articulated railcar).
History
The Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn near Bern, Switzerland was looking for a lighter ...
trains. There are now 6 trains a day between Lleida and Balaguer on weekdays, and 4 trains a day between Lleida and La Pobla de Segur.
Freight
FGC currently operates two types of freight services on the Llobregat–Anoia line; one of which carries potash
Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. and salt from Súria
Súria () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Bages in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the valley of the Cardener river between Manresa and Cardona. The area is best known for its deposits of potassium salts
In chemistry, a sal ...
and Sallent respectively to Martorell for cleaning and processing before being sent to the Port of Barcelona
Managed by Spanish Government The Port of Barcelona ( ca, Port de Barcelona, ; es, Puerto de Barcelona) has a 150-year history and great contemporary commercial importance as one of Europe's major ports in the Mediterranean. It is also Spain's th ...
, and the other carries cars from SEAT
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair (furniture), ...
's main factory in Martorell to the Port of Barcelona.
In September 2012, FGC announced that it was planning to start operating freight services across the Spanish rail network, as an open access operator
In rail transport in Europe, an open-access operator is a train operating company that takes full commercial risk, running on infrastructure owned by a third party and buying paths on a chosen route and in countries where rail services run under ...
. Initial routes would be Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
– Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
and Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
– Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
.
See also
* Renfe Feve
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of ...
* History of rail transport in Spain
:''This article is part of the history of rail transport by country series''
The history of rail transport in Spain begins in the 19th century. In 1848, a railway line between Barcelona and Mataró was inaugurated,
* List of FGC lines
This is a comprehensive list of all the lines operated by the Catalan government-owned Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya rail company, ordered by type.
Suburban lines
The FGC suburban lines is the collective name given to the suburban ...
* Renfe
* Transportation in Spain
Transport in Spain is characterised by an extensive network of roads, railways (including the world's second longest high speed rail network), rapid transit, air routes, and ports. Its geographic location makes it an important link between Eu ...
References
External links
FGC website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrocarrils De La Generalitat De Catalunya
Companies based in Barcelona
Railway companies of Spain
Rail transport in Catalonia
Rail transport in Barcelona
Transport operators in Barcelona
600 mm gauge railways in Spain
Metre gauge railways in Spain
Standard gauge railways in Spain
Iberian gauge railways
Spanish companies established in 1979
Railway companies established in 1979