R4 (Rodalies de Catalunya)
The R4 is a line of Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service, operated by Renfe Operadora. It runs northwards from the northern limits of the province of Tarragona to Barcelona, passing through the inland Alt Penedès region. The line then continues towards central Catalonia, describing a U-shaped route through the Barcelona area. According to 2008 data, the line's average weekday ridership is 105,935, the highest on any line of the Barcelona commuter rail service after the R2.[1]
A Manresa-bound Civia train on a R4 limited service as it passes through the disused Els Comtals railway station, in 2014. | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Commuter rail |
Status | Operational |
Locale | Barcelona metropolitan area |
First service | 1989 |
Current operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
Ridership | 105,935 (2008)[1] |
Annual ridership | 29.4 million (2008)[1] |
Route | |
Start | Sant Vicenç de Calders |
Stops | 40 |
End | Manresa |
Distance travelled | 143 km (89 mi)[1] |
Average journey time | 56 min–2 h 39 min |
Service frequency | Every 8 min–1 h |
Line(s) used |
|
Technical | |
Rolling stock | Civia and 447 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 |
R4 trains use the Meridiana Tunnel in Barcelona, where they share tracks with Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service lines R1, R3 and R7, as well as Girona commuter rail service line RG1 and regional rail line R12, calling at Sants, Plaça de Catalunya and Arc de Triomf stations.[2] South of Barcelona, they operate on the Sant Vicenç de Calders–Vilafranca del Penedès–Barcelona railway, using Sant Vicenç de Calders as their southernmost terminus, north of Barcelona they operate on the Lleida–Manresa–Barcelona railway, with no services terminating north of Manresa.
Together with lines R1, R2 and R3, the R4 (then simply numbered line 4) started services in 1989 as one of the first lines of the Cercanías commuter rail system for Barcelona, known as Rodalies Barcelona.[3] In 1995, the branch line to Cerdanyola Universitat railway station opened for passenger service and was incorporated as part of line R4.[4] With the creation of Barcelona commuter rail service line R7 in 2005, the branch line was transferred to the R7.[5] In the long-term future, it is projected that the route of the R4 south of Barcelona will be transferred to the R2, and all its services will terminate at Barcelona–El Prat Airport.[6]
List of stations
The following table lists the name of each station served by line R4 in order from south to north; the station's service pattern offered by R4 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.[7][8]
# | 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 |
Station | Service | Rodalies de Catalunya transfers | Other transfers | Municipality | Fare zone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ATM AdB | Rod | |||||
Sant Vicenç de Calders# | ● | R2 Sud, R13, R14, R15, R16, RT2 | — | El Vendrell | 6A | 6 |
El Vendrell | ● | RT2 | — | El Vendrell | 6A | 6 |
L'Arboç | ● | RT2 | — | L'Arboç | 5B | 6 |
Els Monjos | ● | — | — | Santa Margarida i els Monjos | 4B | 5 |
Vilafranca del Penedès# | ● | — | — | Vilafranca del Penedès | 4B | 5 |
La Granada | ○ | — | — | La Granada | 4B | 5 |
Lavern-Subirats | ○ | — | — | Subirats | 3B | 4 |
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia | ● | — | — | Sant Sadurní d'Anoia | 3B | 4 |
Gelida* | ● | — | Gelida Funicular | Gelida | 3B | 4 |
Martorell#* | ● | R8 | Baix Llobregat Metro and other commuter rail services | Martorell | 3B | 3 |
Castellbisbal | ● | R8 | — | Castellbisbal | 2B | 3a |
El Papiol | ● | — | — | El Papiol | 2B | 2 |
Molins de Rei | ● | R1 | — | Molins de Rei | 2B | 2 |
Sant Feliu de Llobregat | ● | R1 | — | Sant Feliu de Llobregat | 1 | 2 |
Sant Joan Despí | ● | R1 | — | Sant Joan Despí | 1 | 1 |
Cornellà* | ● | R1 | Barcelona Metro line 5 Trambaix light rail services | Cornellà de Llobregat | 1 | 1 |
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat#* | ● | R1, R3, R12, RG1 | Barcelona Metro line 1 at Rambla Just Oliveras station | L'Hospitalet de Llobregat | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona Sants* | ● | R1, R2, R2 Nord, R2 Sud, R3, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, RG1 | Renfe Operadora-operated high-speed and long-distance rail services TGV high-speed rail services Barcelona Metro lines 3 and 5 at Sants Estació station National and international coach services | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona Plaça de Catalunya* | ● | R1, R3, R12, RG1 | Barcelona Metro lines 1, 3, 6 and 7 Vallès Metro commuter rail services | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona Arc de Triomf* | ● | R1, R3, R12, RG1 | Barcelona Metro line 1 National and international coach services at Estació del Nord | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona La Sagrera-Meridiana* | ● | R3, R12 | Barcelona Metro lines 1, 5 and 9/10 (L9 Nord/L10) | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona Sant Andreu Arenal* | ● | R3, R7, R12 | Barcelona Metro line 1 at Fabra i Puig station National coach services | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Barcelona Torre del Baró* | ● | R3, R7, R12 | Barcelona Metro line 11 at Torre Baró – Vallbona station | Barcelona | 1 | 1 |
Montcada Bifurcació | ● | R3, R7, R12 | — | Montcada i Reixac | 1 | 1 |
Montcada i Reixac-Manresa | ● | R7, R12 | — | Montcada i Reixac | 1 | 1 |
Montcada i Reixac-Santa Maria | ● | R7, R12 | — | Montcada i Reixac | 1 | 1 |
Cerdanyola del Vallès | ● | R7, R12 | — | Cerdanyola del Vallès | 2C | 2 |
Barberà del Vallès | ● | R12 | — | Barberà del Vallès | 2C | 2 |
Sabadell Sud | ● | R12 | — | Sabadell | 2C | 3 |
Sabadell Centre | ● | R12 | — | Sabadell | 2C | 3 |
Sabadell Nord | ● | R12 | — | Sabadell | 2C | 3 |
Terrassa Est | ● | R12 | — | Terrassa | 3C | 4 |
Terrassa#* | ● | R12 | Vallès Metro commuter rail services | Terrassa | 3C | 4 |
Sant Miquel de Gonteres-Viladecavalls | ○ | — | — | Viladecavalls | 3C | 4 |
Viladecavalls | ○ | — | — | Viladecavalls | 3C | 4 |
Vacarisses-Torreblanca | ○ | — | — | Vacarisses | 4E | 4 |
Vacarisses | ○ | — | — | Vacarisses | 4E | 5 |
Castellbell i el Vilar-Monistrol de Montserrat | ○ | — | — | Castellbell i el Vilar | 5E | 5 |
Sant Vicenç de Castellet | ● | R12 | — | Sant Vicenç de Castellet | 5E | 5 |
Manresa# | ● | R12 | — | Manresa | 6D | 6 |
2018 and 2019 derailments
On 20 November 2018, a train on this line derailed due to a landslide between the Vacarisses and Vacarisses Torreblanca stations, causing one death and 49 injuries.[9][10] Another derailment occurred on 8 February 2019 between Sant Vicenç de Castellet and Manresa, killing the driver and injuring several other people.[11]
References
- "Línia R4" [Line R4]. Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- "Xarxa Rodalies de Catalunya" [Rodalies de Catalunya System] (PDF) (Map). Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- Julià Sort (2013), p. 69–71
- De Orovio, Ignacio (3 October 1995). "La Autònoma estrena estación de Renfe con disgusto de los estudiantes por las tarifas" [The new Renfe station serving the Autonomous University is opened with the students' disappointment on fares] (PDF). La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Cerdanyola del Vallès. p. 33. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- Arenós, Paloma (17 May 2005). "El tren deseado" [The wished train] (PDF). La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Sant Cugat del Vallès. Vivir section (p. 1). Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- Julià Sort (2013), p. 144–145
- 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.
- "One dead and some 50 injured after train derails in central Catalonia". Catalan News. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- "Catalonia train crash: one dead in landslide derailment". The Guardian. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- "One dead and several injured as train derails in central Catalonia". Catalan News. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
Bibliography
- Julià Sort, Jordi (October 2013). Sagrera i la xarxa ferroviària de Barcelona [Sagrera and Barcelona's railway system] (in Catalan). Barcelona: Viena Edicions. ISBN 978-84-8330-740-3.
External links
- Rodalies de Catalunya official website
- Schedule for the R4 (PDF format)
- R4 Rodalies (rod4cat) on Twitter. Official Twitter account by Rodalies de Catalunya for the R4 with service status updates (tweets usually published only in Catalan)
Geographic data related to R4 at OpenStreetMap - R4 (rodalia 4) on Twitter. Unofficial Twitter account by Rodalia.info monitoring real-time information about the R4 by its users.
- Information about the R4 at trenscat.cat (in Catalan)