R1–RG1 (Rodalies de Catalunya)
The R1 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 southern limits of the province of Girona, passing through the coastal Maresme region. Since 2014, some services have been extended further north towards Portbou, near the French border. These services are designated RG1 and are considered part of the Girona commuter rail service. The line had an annual ridership of 28 million in 2016, achieving an average weekday ridership of 102,214 according to 2008 data.
A 447 Series train on a R1 service at Malgrat de Mar railway station in 2013. | |
| Overview | |
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| Service type | Commuter rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Barcelona metropolitan area and province of Girona |
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| Current operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
| Ridership | 102,214 (2008) |
| Annual ridership | 28 million (2016) |
| Route | |
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| Service frequency | Every 6 min–4 h |
| Line(s) used |
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| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | Civia and 447 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 |
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R1–RG1 trains primarily run on the Barcelona–Mataró–Maçanet-Massanes railway, the first railway line in the Iberian Peninsula. They use the Meridiana Tunnel in Barcelona, where they share tracks with Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service lines R3 and R4, as well as regional rail line R12, calling at Sants, Plaça de Catalunya and Arc de Triomf stations. R1 services use Molins de Rei as their southernmost terminus and Maçanet-Massanes as their northernmost one. On the other hand, no RG1 services run south of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, or north of Portbou.
Together with lines R2, R3, and R4, the R1 (then simply numbered line 1) started services in 1989 as one of the first lines of the Cercanías commuter rail system for Barcelona, known as Rodalia Barcelona. Originally, R1 services had two southern termini, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Barcelona–El Prat Airport stations. In 2005, all trains terminating at the airport moved their southern terminus to Molins de Rei. In the long-term future, it is projected that the R1 will take over the southern section of line R2, creating a major north–south axis that will extend along the coast of the Barcelona metropolitan area.