Ferrovial-led consortium secures Barcelona rail extension

The contract to extend the Llobregat-Anoia line of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) commuter rail system includes building a 4km tunnel and three new stations, as well as upgrading two existing stations.

The project, awarded by the Catalonia Regional Government’s Territory Department, is worth €300m (US$336m).

Work will begin at the end of this summer and must be completed within five years. More than 13,500 homes, premises and parking garages will be inspected before tunnel boring commences.

The Llobregat-Anoia line extension project will connect the FGC Vallès and Baix Llobregat-Anoia lines, improving service and cutting transit time by an average of 4.5 minutes by avoiding the need to change trains. The new stations – Hospital Clínic, Francesc Macià and Gràcia – will provide connections with Barcelona Metro line 5, the light rail system and other FGC lines.

The lines will be linked via the new 4km twin-track bored tunnel. The project also includes building two emergency exits, one at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Comte Urgell streets and the second at the intersection of Muntaner and Mariá Cubí streets.

The two stations to be upgraded include Plaça Espanya, which is the Llobregat-Anoia line terminus and part of one of Barcelona’s main transit interchanges, where several FGC lines and Barcelona Metro lines 1 and 3 converge. The upgrade includes extending two of the four rail tracks, expanding the vestibule and reconfiguring accesses and connections between levels.