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Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya or FGC is a Spanish railway company, which operates a system of metre gauge lines and a separate system of standard gauge lines in the Catalonia region of Spain, centered on Barcelona. The two systems are not connected to each other.
The company operates some of the commuter rail network into Barcelona, all of which is electrified.
There are two distinct (and separate) systems:
- The Metro del Vallès and Línia de Balmes lines are standard gauge (1435mm) lines that run from the Plaça de Catalunya to Av. Tibidabo (L7, brown on the map), Reina Elisenda (L6, purple), Sant Cugat de Vallès (S5), Sabadell (S2) and Terrassa (S1).
- The Metro del Baix Llobregat lines are narrow gauge (1000mm) lines that run from the Plaça d'Espanya to Molí Nou-Ciutat Cooperativa (in Sant Boi de Llobregat, L8 - pink on the map), El Palau (S7), Martorell-Enllaç (S8), Olesa de Montserrat (S4), Manresa (R5) and Igualada (R6). There is also a metre gauge freight line to the port of Barcelona from this line, which diverges from the main line near Cornellà-Riera.
Along the Llobregat valley, the FGC run on the northern bank through towns such as Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Vicenç dels Horts, Pallejà and on to Martorell (Enllaç), whereas RENFE (line R4) run on the southern bank through towns such as Sant Joan Despí, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Molins de Rei and on to Martorell (though not the same station as the FGC).
The line numbering is as follows:
- L prefixed lines (L for Línia) are treated as part of the Barcelona metro system (which consists of L1-L5 for the metro proper, L6-L8 on the FGC, L9 is a metro line being built and L11 is a short light railway system in the northwest - see Barcelona Metro)
- S prefixed lines (S for Suburbà) are suburban lines, extending into zone 2 or 3 of the metropolitan fare zones
- R prefixed lines (R for Rodalies) are Interurban lines, extending beyond zone 3. Lines R1-R4 (sometimes C1-C4, C for Cercanías) are operated by RENFE, R5 and R6 are operated by FGC.
In total the company operates 140 km (88 miles) of metre gauge track, 42 km (24 miles) of standard gauge track, and a short rack railway, in the Pyrenees mountains.
See also: RENFE, FEVE, Transportation in Spain, Spanish railway history.
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