R3 (Rodalies de Catalunya)
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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.
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Commuter rail, regional rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Provinces of Barcelona and Girona |
| First service | 1989 |
| Current operator(s) | Renfe Operadora |
| Ridership | 22,841 (2008) |
| Annual ridership | 6.6 million (2008) |
| Route | |
| Start | L'Hospitalet de Llobregat |
| Stops | 35 |
| End | Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg |
| Distance travelled | 165.9 km (103.1 mi) |
| Average journey time | 49 min–3 h 5 min |
| Service frequency | Every 20 min–2 h |
| Line used | |
| Technical | |
| 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 |
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.
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. 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. 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. 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. In the long-term future, it is projected that the R3 will be rerouted through the Aragó Tunnel in Barcelona. Furthermore, it is planned to be extended southwards to Castelldefels, thanks to the construction of a new branch line from Cornellà de Llobregat.
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