R4 (Rodalies de Catalunya)

R4
A Manresa-bound Civia train on a R4 limited service as it passes through the disused Els Comtals railway station, in 2014.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
StatusOperational
LocaleBarcelona metropolitan area
First service1989 (1989)
Current operator(s)Renfe Operadora
Ridership105,935 (2008)[1]
Annual ridership29.4 million (2008)[1]
Route
TerminiSant Vicenç de Calders
Manresa
Stops40
Distance travelled143 km (89 mi)[1]
Average journey time56 min–2 h 39 min
Service frequencyEvery 8 min–1 h
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stockCivia and 447 Series EMUs
Track gauge1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification3,000 V DC overhead lines
Track owner(s)Adif
Route map
Legend
Tarragona
direction to Valls
 Sant Vicenç de Calders
end
direction to Calafell
 El Vendrell
L'Arboç
AVE (Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona)
 Els Monjos
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca-TAV AVE
La Granada
Lavern-Subirats
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
AVE (Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona)
 Gelida
Martorell
Llobregat river
 Castellbisbal
direction to Rubí
AVE (Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona)
 El Papiol
Molins de Rei
Sant Feliu de Llobregat
Sant Joan Despí
(new branch to Castelldefels)
 Cornellà Centre
Sant Ildefons (closed)
 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
direction to Bellvitge
 Torrassa
(proposed station)
AVE direction to Camp de Tarragona
Barcelona Sants AVE
AVE Provença street tunnel
direction to Passeig de Gràcia
 Plaça Catalunya
Arc de Triomf
connection with Estació de França (Marina branch)
Estació de França - Passeig de Gràcia
direction to el Clot - Aragó
el Clot-Aragó - Passeig de Gràcia
AVE Sagrera-TAV - Sants (Provença st. tunnel)
 Sagrera-Meridiana
(new station)
 Sant Andreu Arenal
Torre Baró
Aigües branch (connection with Sant Andreu Comtal)
 Montcada Bifurcació
direction to Montcada-Ripollet
 Montcada i Reixac - Manresa
Montcada i Reixac - Santa Maria
Cerdanyola del Vallès
direction to Cerdanyola-Universitat
Barberà del Vallès
Sabadell Sud
Sabadell Centre
Sabadell Nord
Castellarnau (closed)
Torrebonica (closed)
 Terrassa Est
Terrassa
Sant Miquel de Gonteres - Viladecavalls
Viladecavalls
Olesa de Monserrat (closed)
 Vacarisses-Torreblanca
Vacarisses
Castellbell i el Vilar - Monistrol de Montserrat
Sant Vicenç de Castellet
Castellgalí (closed)
Els Comtals (closed)
 Manresa
end
direction to Lleida-Pirineus

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]

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

  1. ^ a b c d "Línia R4" [Line R4]. Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Xarxa Rodalies de Catalunya" [Rodalies de Catalunya System] (PDF) (Map). Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  3. ^ Julià Sort (2013), pp. 69–71.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Julià Sort (2013), pp. 144–145.
  7. ^ Integrated Railway Network (PDF) (Map). Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. August 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "One dead and some 50 injured after train derails in central Catalonia". Catalan News. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Catalonia train crash: one dead in landslide derailment". The Guardian. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  11. ^ "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.