R3 (Rodalies de Catalunya)

R3
Two 447 Series trains on R3 services at Ripoll railway station in 2012. The left train is bound for L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, whilst the right one is bound for Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail,
regional rail
StatusOperational
LocaleProvinces of Barcelona and Girona
First service1989 (1989)
Current operator(s)Renfe Operadora
Ridership22,841 (2008)[1]
Annual ridership6.6 million (2008)[1]
WebsiteOn Rodalies site
Route
TerminiL'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg
Stops35
Distance travelled165.9 km (103.1 mi)[1]
Average journey time49 min to 3 h 5 min
Service frequencyEvery 20 min to 2 h
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stock447 Series EMUs
Track gauge1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification3,000 V DC overhead lines
Operating speed115 km/h (71 mph) south and 100 km/h (62 mph) north of Vic
Track owner(s)Adif

The R3 is a line of Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service, operated by Renfe Operadora. It runs northwards from the Barcelona area to the French border town of Latour-de-Carol, passing through the Vallès Oriental, Osona and Ripollès regions. With a total line length of 165.9 kilometres (103.1 mi), it extends notably beyond the limits of the Barcelona metropolitan area, reaching the Pyrenees mountains. According to 2008 data, the line's average weekday ridership is 22,841.[1]

R3 trains use the Meridiana Tunnel in Barcelona, where they share tracks with Barcelona commuter rail service lines R1, R4 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] They run primarily on the Barcelona–Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg railway, using Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg as their northernmost terminus, and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat as its southern one.

Together with lines R1, R2 and R4, the R3 (then simply numbered line 3) started services in 1989 as one of the first lines of the Cercanías commuter rail system for Barcelona, known as Rodalies Barcelona.[3] In 2010, after the administration of the Barcelona commuter rail service was transferred to the Catalan government, the line was extended from its original northern terminus at Vic to Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg.[4] The section north of Vic had not previously been considered part of the Barcelona commuter rail service; designated Ca5, the services running on it were part of Renfe Operadora's regional rail division in Catalonia.[5] In the long-term future, it is projected that the R3 will be rerouted through the Aragó Tunnel in Barcelona.[6] Furthermore, it is planned to be extended southwards to Castelldefels, thanks to the construction of a new branch line from Cornellà de Llobregat.[7]

The R3 is the Barcelona commuter rail service line with the highest number of service incidents, and has been the recipient of much criticism from its users and local authorities. Minor delays occur constantly on the line, most of which can be attributed to the fact that it uses single-track infrastructure for almost all of its length.[8][9] There have been calls for the conversion of the line's route to double track since the 1990s, especially on the Barcelona–Vic section.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d "Línia R3" [Line R3]. Rodalies de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 19 August 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. ^ "Traspàs de rodalies a la Generalitat de Catalunya" [Transfer of commuter rail services to the Government of Catalonia]. Mobilitat (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  5. ^ Ribas Domingo, Santi; Pujol i Gil, Jordi (March 2005). "Estudi de la xarxa ferroviària de viatgers a Catalunya" [Study on the passenger rail network in Catalonia] (PDF). Planejament Territorial de Catalunya (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia: 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  6. ^ Julià Sort (2013), pp. 144–145.
  7. ^ Ministerio de Fomento (2009), pp. 69, 94–95.
  8. ^ Solé, Albert (21 March 2015). "R3, el forat negre de la xarxa: primera conclusió de l'Ara Control Rodalies" [R3, the system's shortfall: first conclusion from "Ara Control Rodalies"] (in Catalan). Barcelona: Ara. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  9. ^ ""El malson de Rodalies": reportatge d'Antoni Bassas per a Ara TV i portada d'aquest dilluns" ["The Rodalies nightmare": a report by Antoni Bassas for Ara TV and Monday's front page] (in Catalan). Barcelona: Ara. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  10. ^ Moisès, Jordi (31 December 2014). "Ferrocarril Barcelona-Puigcerdà. Desdoblament Montcada-Vic" [Barcelona–Puigcerdà Railway. Montcada–Vic doubling]. Territori (in Catalan). Societat Catalana d'Ordenació del Territori. Retrieved 24 September 2015.