Igualada (Llobregat–Anoia Line) Explained

Igualada
Type:FGC commuter rail station
Address:Passeig Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer
08700 Igualada
Borough:Catalonia
Country:Spain
Coordinates:41.5779°N 1.6302°W
Owned:Government of Catalonia
Operator:Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)
Line:Llobregat–Anoia Line
Platforms:2 side platforms
Tracks:2
Structure:At-grade
Parking:A parking lot is located adjacent to the station, on the south side of it.
Accessible:Yes
Zone:6B (ATM Àrea de Barcelona)[1]
Passengers:190,004
Pass Year:2013

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. 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 300adj=midNaNadj=mid line portion, removing the only level crossing in town.[2]

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, 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 1.5km (00.9miles) 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.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. . Integrated Railway Network . PDF . June 2015 . 7 November 2015.
  2. Web site: 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 . Catalan. Igualada City Council. 31 March 2015 . 30 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Llocs de la ciutat mítica: El Carrilet . Places in the mythical city: El Carrilet ("The Narrow Gauge Train") . Farrés Cobeta . Jaume . Joan Llacuna, el poeta d'Igualada . . Catalan . 30 July 2015.