Platja de Castelldefels railway station

Platja de Castelldefels is a Rodalies de Catalunya railway station serving the beach district of Castelldefels, in Catalonia, Spain. It is located at about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the main town and less than 200 metres (660 ft) from the beach, making it very busy during the summer months but almost deserted in winter.[4][5] It is served by some trains on Barcelona commuter rail service line R2 Sud.

Platja de Castelldefels
Rodalies de Catalunya commuter rail station
General information
LocationPasseig del Ferrocarril
08860 Castelldefels
Spain
Coordinates41°16′1.02″N 1°57′25.61″E
Owned byAdif
Operated byRenfe Operadora
Line(s)Madrid–Barcelona (PK 656.6)[1]
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport Local and night buses
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Other information
Station code71704[1]
Fare zone
Services
Preceding station Rodalies de Catalunya Following station
Garraf
towards Sant Vicenç de Calders
 R2 Sud Castelldefels
towards Barcelona Estació de França

Overview

The station has two 200-metre-long (660 ft) platforms connected by a footbridge and, since November 2009, an underpass.[4][6] Trains arriving from Barcelona stop at platform 1, on the opposite side of the railway tracks from the beach.[7] There have been several accidents caused by passengers directly crossing the tracks rather than using the footbridge.[8] A 19-year-old woman was killed by an on-coming train while crossing the tracks on 4 March 2009.[9] On the evening of 23 June 2010, the station was the site of the Castelldefels train accident in which 13 people were killed and 14 people were injured when an Alaris intercity train from Alicante to Barcelona ploughed into a large group of people who were crossing the lines.[8]

The only trains that stop at the station are those of the Barcelona commuter rail service. Regional services from Barcelona to Tarragona and Tortosa, as well as long-distance services to Valencia and Alicante, also pass through the station.[7] These non-stopping trains can pass through the station at speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph).[10]

The safety of the station, particularly the problems of allowing large numbers of passengers to leave the station, was criticized after its refurbishment in 2009 by members of Castelldefels town council. In November 2009, one council member, Àngels Coté said "on St. John's Eve [the night of 23 June, a major celebration in Catalonia] it could become a rat trap [una ratera], and the months of July and August as well."[11]

The town council also had official discussions on the subject with Adif, the owner of the station.[11] However, it is clear that the passengers crossing the tracks could have used a bridge that is situated at one end of the platform,[12] even if this would have involved a short additional walk.

References
  1. "Listado de líneas y estaciones" [List of railway lines and stations] (PDF) (in Spanish). Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Government of Spain. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  2. Integrated Railway Network (PDF) (Map). Autoritat del Transport Metropolità. August 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  3. Servei de rodalia de Barcelona [Barcelona commuter rail service] (PDF) (Map) (in Catalan). Generalitat of Catalonia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  4. "Castelldefels reforma la segunda estación de Renfe". Transporte Barcelona. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  5. "Desierto en invierno, abarrotado en verano". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 2010.
  6. "Blanco asegura que la estación de Castelldefels cumple "la normativa de seguridad"". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  7. "Cercanías y rápidos por la misma vía". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 2010.
  8. "Todas las versiones apuntan a la imprudencia en la muerte de 12 personas arrolladas por un tren en Castelldefels". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 2010.
  9. "Una joven murió atropellada al cruzar las vías del mismo apeadero hace un año". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 24 June 2010.
  10. "Fomento dice que el tren circulaba a menos velocidad de la permitida y que tocó la bocina en tres ocasiones". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 24 June 2010.
  11. "Blanco apunta a la "imprudència" dels passatgers en l'atropellament de Castelldefels". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Catalan). 24 June 2010.
  12. Google (14 February 2015). "Platja de Castelldefels railway station" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
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