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]

  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.