The Government of the Generalitat has tendered the study for the first phase of the Transversal Railway Axis, a project aimed at connecting the cities of Lleida and Girona while bypassing Barcelona. This initiative, previously reported by several media outlets, includes the planning for a future high-speed (AVE) station in the Vallès region.
The new station in Vallès is intended to facilitate transfers with the Rodalies (commuter rail) lines and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). Furthermore, the project considers the possibility of AVE trains from Madrid accessing Barcelona via the Sagrera station, through a new branch line connecting Martorell and Mollet.
The planning for the initial section, covering the route between Lleida, Igualada, and Martorell, as well as the entry into Barcelona via Sagrera, has an estimated budget of one and a half million euros and is expected to take over two years to complete.
“"The Transversal Railway Axis will strengthen the current network in terms of capacity, efficiency, and balance."
According to the contract's terms of reference, managed by Ifercat, the exact location for the future high-speed station in Vallès is not specified. However, it is detailed that the alignment of this new track will be "sensibly parallel" to the R8 Rodalies line, between the Rubí tunnel and Mollet-Sant Fost. The Government also plans for high-speed trains to stop at a minimum of one station in each county the line passes through.
This tender follows the direction set by the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, last November, who proposed the high-speed access to Barcelona via Sagrera. Puente announced the feasibility study for a "direct" AVE variant between Lleida and Barcelona-Sagrera, which would avoid passing through Camp de Tarragona and Sants, thereby aiming for a "significant time saving" and "decongestion" of the Tarragona section towards the Catalan capital.
