Sant Joan Funicular | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | in use |
Locale | Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain |
Service | |
Type | Funicular |
Operator(s) | Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government Railways, FGC]] |
History | |
Opened | 1918 |
Technical | |
Line length | 0.0503 mi (0.0810 km) |
Number of tracks | Double track |
Track gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) |
Maximum incline | 65.2% |
The Sant Joan Funicular (Catalan : Funicular de Sant Joan; Spanish : Funicular de San Juan) is a funicular railway at Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, with sacred sites, walking trails and viewpoints higher up the mountain. With a maximum gradient of 65 %, it is the steepest funicular in Spain. [1]
The funicular has the following technical parameters: [1] [2]
The line is operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government Railways, FGC), who also operate the Montserrat Rack Railway and the Funicular de la Santa Cova funicular railway on Montserrat Mountain, together with two other funicular railways and a significant suburban railway system in and around Barcelona. [1]
The line was originally built in 1918; when opened, it was powered by electricity from the nearby Monistrol de Montserrat plant, owned by Electra Gomis. [3] It was modified to increase capacity in 1926. In 1986 it passed to the FGC, who modernised it in 1997, providing new panoramic cars with transparent roofs. [1]
Between November 2017 and March 2018, the line was closed for maintenance on the winding gear. [4]
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain range near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni, Montgrós and Les Agulles.
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain.
The Barcelona Metro is a network of rapid transit electrified railway lines that run mostly underground in central Barcelona and into the city's suburbs. It is part of the larger public transport system of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, Spain, with unified fares under the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) scheme. As of 2024, the network is operated by two separate companies: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). It is made up of 12 lines, combining the lines owned by the two companies. Two lines, L9 and L10, are being built at present, with both lines having different sections of each opened between 2009 and 2018. They are due to be fully completed in 2030. Three lines on the network have opened as automatic train operation/driverless vehicle systems since 2009: Line 11 being converted to driverless first, and then Lines 9 and 10, opening up driverless.
The Montserrat Rack Railway is a mountain railway line north-west of Barcelona in Catalonia. The line runs from Monistrol de Montserrat to the mountain-top monastery of Montserrat.
The Vall de Núria Rack Railway is a mountain railway in the Pyrenees mountains in the north of the Catalonia region of Spain. The line connects Ribes de Freser with Queralbs and Vall de Núria in Ripollès, Girona. As Queralbs is the highest point in the valley reachable by road, the rack railway is – along with the old footpath / mule track – the only way to reach the shrine and ski resort at Núria.
The Gelida Funicular is a funicular railway in the municipality of Gelida in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects Gelida station, on the RENFE, with the centre of the village of Gelida, which is at a higher level. The line was opened in 1924 and modernised in 1984, whilst retaining a heritage ambience.
The Santa Cova Funicular is a funicular railway at Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The line descends from the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, on a continuous curve to a lower station that gives access, via a path, to Santa Cova, a shrine lower down the mountain.
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The Barcelona–Vallès Line is an unconnected standard gauge rapid transit and commuter railway line linking Barcelona with Sabadell and Terrassa via the Collserola mountain range, in Catalonia, Spain. Its name refers to the Catalan historical region of Vallès, whereby most part of the line runs. Plaça de Catalunya station serves as the Barcelona terminus of the line, where almost all its trains either start or terminate. The line then continues northwards and branches off twice before leaving the city limits. Its main route splits in two in Sant Cugat del Vallès, forming two major branches to Sabadell and Terrassa. It has 40 passenger stations in operation and a total line length of 48.1 kilometres (29.9 mi).
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The Tibidabo Funicular is a funicular railway in the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. The line connects Plaça del Doctor Andreu, the upper terminus of the Tramvia Blau, with the summit of Tibidabo, where there is an amusement park and a church, the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor.
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