These awards, from the Unió Internacional de Ferrocarrils, aim to highlight the efforts of railway operators in creating user-friendly, innovative services and infrastructures aligned with sustainable tourism practices.
The manager of Vall de Núria, Toni Casals (right), collecting the award.
The Núria Rack Railway, managed by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), has been awarded today with the Top Rail Tourism-Friendly awards in the “Short Distance Rolling Stock” category, awarded for the first time by the International Union of Railways (UIC), shared ex aequo with RENFE with the Lighthouse Route. The award was collected today by the manager of Vall de Núria, Toni Casals Picola, during the ceremony held at the UIC headquarters in Paris. Ferrocarrils manages 8 tourist transports in Catalonia, grouped under the Turistren brand. Last year, more than 1.4 million people enjoyed the experience of traveling on FGC tourist trains.
The TopRail Awards, open to UIC members, aim to recognise and highlight the efforts of rail operators that improve the rail tourist experience by creating user-friendly, innovative services and infrastructures aligned with sustainable tourism practices. TopRail is the UIC sector that actively promotes rail tourism products, increasing the visibility of the service offer. With these awards, TopRail recognises excellence in rail tourism services and infrastructures.
The “Short Distance Rolling Stock” category recognises coaches and/or trains that enhance the travel experience with innovative on-board services and experiences and places special emphasis on designs that make rail travel unforgettable, whether through heritage restorations, sustainable solutions or modern features. In this sense, the transports in this category are examples of how rolling stock and on-board services can elevate rail tourism worldwide.
In the case of the Núria Rack Railway, he highlighted:
- Its large panoramic windows allow passengers to enjoy the landscape throughout their journey and that the train is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The large windows of the Núria Rack Railway allow a panoramic view of the valley.
- In terms of heritage, the cars are unique and branded and special trips are offered on weekends with a historic MGB Swiss (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn) car. In addition, Ribes Vila station has a permanent exhibition space where you can visit heritage locomotives, cars and equipment from the old rack railway.
- Customer information has also been valued, through an audio guide (which can be downloaded from your mobile phone and is available in Catalan, Spanish and English) in which users receive information about the journey, the environment and curiosities of the Valley.
- In the area of sustainability, it has been taken into account that the Rack Railway runs 100% on green energy and that it is the only access route to Vall de Núria, so it acts as a regulator of access to the Natural Park.
- And regarding cooperation with associations, Vall de Núria has an agreement and actively collaborates with the Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser Natural Park, which contains the easternmost high mountains of the axial Catalan Pyrenees and the closest to the sea.
