Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Regional rail |
Status | Operational |
Locale | Barcelona and Girona provinces, Catalonia |
Predecessor | Ca2 |
First service | 2010 (as R11) |
Current operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
Route | |
Termini | Barcelona Sants Portbou/Cerbère |
Stops | 28 |
Distance travelled | 172 km (107 mi) |
Average journey time | 1 h 19 min–2 h 40 min |
Service frequency | Every 30–60 min |
Line(s) used | |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | 447 Series, 449 Series and 470 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 |
The R11 is a line of Rodalies de Catalunya's regional rail service, operated by Renfe Operadora. It runs northwards from the Barcelona area to the French border town of Cerbère, passing through the Vallès Oriental, Selva, Gironès and Alt Empordà regions. With a total line length of 172 kilometres (107 mi), it extends notably beyond the limits of the Barcelona metropolitan area, reaching the Pyrenees mountains.
R11 trains run primarily on the Barcelona–Cerbère railway, using Portbou and/or Cerbère as their northeasternmost terminus, and Barcelona Sants as its southwestern one. They use the Aragó Tunnel in Barcelona, where they share tracks with Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona suburban lines R2, R2 Nord and R2 Sud and regional rail lines R13, R14, R15 and R16, calling at Sants and Passeig de Gràcia stations,[1] while they continue to share tracks with Barcelona commuter rail service R2 Nord as far as Maçanet-Massanes, and with the Girona commuter rail service RG1 from Maçanet-Massanes to Portbou.
The Maçanet-Massanes-Portbou section had not previously been considered part of the Barcelona commuter rail service; designated Ca2, the services running on it were part of Renfe Operadora's regional rail division in Catalonia.[2] In 2010, after the administration of the Barcelona commuter rail service was transferred to the Catalan government, the line was passed from the Catalan regional rail division to Rodalies de Catalunya.[3]