Lleida–La Pobla Line

The Lleida–La Pobla Line (Catalan: Línia Lleida-La Pobla) is a 89.4-kilometre-long (55.6 mi) railway line linking Lleida and La Pobla de Segur, in Catalonia, Spain. Most of its users concentrate between Lleida and Balaguer, where a frequent service is offered, with few trains continuing to La Pobla de Segur. Since 2009, a heritage railway service branded Tren dels Llacs (English: "Lakes Train"), in reference to the number of reservoirs skirted by the line north of Balaguer, has been running on the railway.[5] The line is part of the ATM Àrea de Lleida fare-integrated public transport system between Lleida and Àger.[6]

Lleida–La Pobla Line
A Renfe Operadora 592 Series train at La Pobla de Segur station in 2009.
Overview
Native nameLínia Lleida-La Pobla
StatusOperational
LocaleSegrià, Noguera and Pallars Jussà comarques
Termini
Stations17
Websitelleidalapobla.fgc.cat
Service
TypeCommuter rail, regional rail
Services
  • Lleida Pirineus–Balaguer
  • Lleida Pirineus–La Pobla de Segur
Operator(s)Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC)
Depot(s)Pla de Vilanoveta (temporarily)[1]
Rolling stock
Ridership
  • Regular service: 251,843 passenger journeys (2019)[2]
  • Tren dels Llacs: 6,703 passenger journeys (2019)[2]
History
Opened3 February 1924 (1924-02-03)
Technical
Line length89.35 km (55.52 mi)[4]
Number of tracks1
CharacterAt-grade
Track gauge1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
Minimum radius300 metres (980 ft)[4]
Route map
Route map of the Lleida–La Pobla Line within the province of Lleida.
Lleida–La Pobla Line
PK
0
 Lleida Pirineus Mainline rail interchange
Segre River
Madrid–Barcelona HSR (Lleida branch)
Madrid–Barcelona railway
2
To Vilanoveta Junction
 Pla de Vilanoveta
Lleida–Manresa–Barcelona railway
to L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Autovía A-2
6.7
 Alcoletge
C-13
11.8
 Vilanova de la Barca
16.4
 Térmens
22.2
 Vallfogona de Balaguer
C-53
26.1
 Balaguer
Segre River
30.3
 Gerb
35.9
 Sant Llorenç de Montgai
41.7
 Vilanova de la Sal
Camarasa Reservoir
44.8
 Santa Linya
C-12
55
 Àger
63.4
 Cellers-Llimiana
68.2
 Guàrdia de Tremp
72.4
 Palau de Noguera-Talarn
77
 Tremp
C-13
84.2
 Salàs de Pallars
89.8
 La Pobla de Segur

On 3 February 1924, the line's first stretch opened between Lleida and Balaguer, initially as part of a planned international rail line through the Pyrenees mountains between Lleida and Saint-Girons in France. Between 1949 and 1951, it was extended to the current northern terminus in La Pobla de Segur. The line was targeted for closure by the Spanish government in the 1980s, with great opposition from regional and local administrations. This led to the eventual transfer of the line to the Catalan government in 2004, though operations continued to be carried on by the national rail operator Renfe Operadora.[3][7] In 2016, the line's operation was fully taken over by the regional company Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) following the introduction of new rolling stock and service improvements.[8][9][10]

References
  1. Borràs, Bernat. "Arribada nous trens dièsel 331" [Arrival of the new diesel 331 Series trains]. Línia Lleida-La Pobla de Segur (in Catalan). trenscat.cat. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. "Memòria | Ferrocarrilsde la Generalitat de Catalunya" (PDF). www.fgc.cat. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. "Real decreto 2398/2004, de 30 de diciembre, sobre traspaso a la Generalidad de Cataluña de la línea ferroviaria de titularidad del Estado «Lleida-La Pobla de Segur» y de las funciones y servicios de la Administración del Estado en materia de transporte por ferrocarril en relación con dicha línea" [Royal Act 2398/2004, as of 30 December, on the transfer to the Government of Catalonia of the State owned Lleida–La Pobla de Segur railway line and the functions and services of the State Administration on rail transport issues regarding such railway line] (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). Ministry of the Presidency. Government of Spain. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. Garola Crespo (2005), p. 9–12, Característiques de la línia
  5. "Neix el Tren dels Llacs, un recorregut amb tren històric entre Lleida i La Pobla de Segur" [The Tren dels Llacs is launched, a heritage railway service between Lleida and La Pobla de Segur]. Notícies (in Catalan). Lleida City Council. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  6. Xarxa integrada [Integrated system] (PDF) (Map) (in Catalan). Autoritat Territorial de la Mobilitat de l'Àrea de Lleida. September 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. Garola Crespo (2005), p. 4–7, Punt de partida: El context polític i econòmic de la línia. El traspàs de la línia a la Generalitat.
  8. "GTWs delivered for La Pobla de Segur route". Railway Gazette. Railway Gazette International. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  9. Biela, Laura (16 January 2016). "Los nuevos trenes entre Lleida y La Pobla mejorarán frecuencia de paso y reducirán tiempo de viaje" [The new trains between Lleida and La Pobla to increase service frequency and reduce travel times]. El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Lleida. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  10. "Els nous trens de la línia Lleida-La Pobla de Segur es posaran en servei el 25 de juliol" [The new trains for the Lleida–La Pobla de Segur Line to come into service on 25 July]. La Vanguardia (in Catalan). Barcelona. Catalan News Agency. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.

Bibliography

Media related to Línea Lleida Pirineus - la Pobla de Segur at Wikimedia Commons

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