The Núria Rack Railway, the Montserrat Rack Railway, the Santa Cova Funicular, the Sant Joan Funicular and the Granota Train are still in operation
Almost 1 million people have boarded the tourist trains of FGC Turisme during this 2023
The Núria Rack Railway, the Montserrat Rack Railway, and the Sant Joan and Santa Cova funiculars continue to be successful, offering travelers the possibility of enjoying these local tourist facilities throughout the year. On the other hand, historic trains such as the Tren dels Llacs and Tren del Ciment end their 2023 season with a total influx of 24,909 passengers. While the Tren del Ciment has experienced an increase of 8.77%, the Tren dels Llacs has seen a decrease in visitors, from 5,820 in 2022 to 5,482 in 2023 (-6%), mainly due to the reduction of circulations in the Tren dels Llacs Historic calendar.
The Tren dels Llacs has turned off its engines after a season in which it has achieved a high influx of passengers. Last Saturday, October 28, the last circulation took place. The historical and panoramic rail transport service between Lleida and Pobla de Segur has received a total influx of 5,482 users. Specifically, the Panoramic Train has transported 450 passengers, reaching 100.00% of the available seats. As for the Historic Train, 5,032 passengers have enjoyed the service during the 2023 season, representing 82.93% of total occupancy.
Tren dels Llacs Històric
The Tren del Ciment, which follows the historic line that once connected the Asland cement factory, in Castellar de n'Hug, with Guardiola de Berguedà, has ended the 2023 season with a balance of 19,427 visitors, with an increase in visitors of 8 .77% compared to the previous year. This tourist train has been running from April 1st to November 5th. Travelers have enjoyed a route that makes a total of four stops. At each of these stops, users discover proposals of great cultural interest, such as the Jardins Artigas, the Museu del Ciment and the Exposició de Trens Històrics de ferrocarrils secundaris, industrials i turístics in the Vall del Llobregat.
Tren del Ciment
The Núria Rack Railway, the Montserrat Rack Railway, the Santa Cova Funicular, the Sant Joan Funicular and the Granota Train are still in operation
The Núria Rack Railway continues to run and continues to offer a 12.5 km crossing that overcomes a difference in altitude of 1,000 m in just 40 minutes, giving travelers a unique experience in the middle of a spectacular landscape of the Eastern Pyrenees. During the month of November, it will run normally on weekends and on weekdays it will offer the interurban service between Ribes and Queralbs. From December 2nd, the Cremallera will resume daily circulation coinciding with the start of the mountain resort's winter season. From May 1 to November 1, 136,703 users enjoyed the Núria Rack Railway, representing a 13.68% increase in visitors.
Núria Rack Railway
On the other hand, the Montserrat Rack Railway, the Sant Joan and Santa Cova Funiculars continue to bring visitors closer to one of the most emblematic places in Catalonia, the Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat, in the Bages region. The Montserrat Rack Railway is the only greenway to access Montserrat. It has been calculated when the Rack Railway saves in CO₂ emissions compared to the rest of the means of transport (car, motorcycle, bus...) and only last year the visitors who used the Rack Railway instead of other means saved more than 263 tons of CO₂.
Additionally, the month of October has been the month with the most influx in the touristic exploitations of the Rack Railway and Funiculars of Montserrat, the Pilar festival and activities such as the Coca Fair and the Mató in Monistrol have encouraged the Catalan market to visit Montserrat coinciding with the international market.
From January to November, the Montserrat Rack Railway recorded 482,633 travelers, an increase of 50% compared to 320,761 in 2022. This increase in visitors is due to the reopening of air routes with one of the main sending markets such as Asia and the recovery of international tourism and the Barcelona destination.
The Sant Joan Funicular has obtained an increase in visitors of almost 40% compared to the previous year with a figure of 230,202 users. Finally, the Santa Cova Funicular also ends with positive figures, with 46,163 visitors, a figure that exceeds last season with more than 4,000 more visitors.
Montserrat Rack Railway
The Granota Train has been the novelty of Turistren this 2023. It was designed after the Civil War by engineers from the Sarrià workshop and circulated for the first time in 1944, completing its service in 1996. It was a restoration in tribute to the workers who made this historic milestone possible. During this 2023 it has been the new offer among the tourist services of rail transport. The Granota Train was once again made available to travelers by making several circulations of historic rolling stock on the Barcelona - Vallés line on specific Sundays during the spring and autumn, with a good reception by the FGC user public to this initiative of the company Until October 22nd, 2,243 people got on it to enjoy the opportunity to go back in time and experience the golden era of the Railway in Catalonia.
