Igualada (Llobregat–Anoia Line)

Igualada
FGC commuter rail station
A 213 Series train at the station.
General information
LocationPasseig Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer
08700 Igualada
Catalonia
Spain
Coordinates41°34′40.5″N 1°37′48.6″E / 41.577917°N 1.630167°E / 41.577917; 1.630167
Owned byGovernment of Catalonia
Operated byFerrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)
Line(s)Llobregat–Anoia Line
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingA parking lot is located adjacent to the station, on the south side of it.[1]
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone6B (ATM Àrea de Barcelona)[2]
History
Opened1978 (1978)
Passengers
2013190,004[a]
Services
Preceding station FGC Following station
Terminus R6 Vilanova del Camí
towards Barcelona Pl. Espanya
R60

Igualada is a railway station on the Llobregat–Anoia Line serving the city of the same name, in Catalonia, Spain. It is located adjacent to the bus station, in the southeastern part of town.[1] The railway station is the northern terminus of the Igualada line branch and is served by commuter rail lines R6 and R60.

Although the current station opened in 1978, a narrow gauge railway line from Martorell, predecessor of the current line, had already been serving the city since 1893. In 2015, it was announced that the current at-grade station is to be put underground together with a 300-metre-long (980 ft) line portion, removing the only level crossing in town.[4]

History

Originally, it was envisaged that Igualada would be part of the Madrid to Barcelona railway through central Catalonia. This plan, however, was dropped in favour of Manresa, located further north. On 9 July 1893 (1893-07-09), the railway eventually arrived in Igualada in the form of a narrow gauge line from Martorell, built and operated by Ferrocarril Central Catalán ("Catalan Central Railway"), which would later become the current Llobregat–Anoia Line. The original terminus station was located at-grade in the northwestern part of the city. In 1978, the original station was replaced with a new one in the southeastern part of town, resulting in the dismantling of about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) of railway lines through the city center, including the removal of several busy level crossings and the demolition of the original station building. The recovered land allowed for the extension of the Passeig Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer boulevard.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ Passenger figures according to recorded annual entries.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Igualada station and surroundings" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  2. ^ Integrated Railway Network (PDF) (Map). Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. June 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  3. ^ Memòria de Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya 2013 [2013 Report of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya] (PDF) (Report) (in Catalan). Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya; Department of Public Works and Transport. Generalitat of Catalonia. 2014. p. 63. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Generalitat i Ajuntament accorden el projecte de supressió del pas a nivell" [The Catalan Government and the City Council agree on the level crossing removal project] (in Catalan). Igualada City Council. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. ^ Farrés Cobeta, Jaume. "Llocs de la ciutat mítica: El Carrilet" [Places in the mythical city: El Carrilet ("The Narrow Gauge Train")]. Joan Llacuna, el poeta d'Igualada (in Catalan). Open University of Catalonia. Retrieved 30 July 2015.