Vall de Núria Rack Railway
Mountain railway line in Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Vall de Núria Rack Railway (Catalan: Cremallera de Núria, IPA: [kɾəməˈʎeɾə ðə ˈnuɾiə]) 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.
Cremallera de Núria | |
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Overview | |
Owner | Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya |
Locale | Pyrenees in the north of Catalonia |
History | |
Opened | March 22, 1931 |
Technical | |
Line length | 12.5 km (7.8 mi) |
Rack system | Abt |
Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
Electrification | 1500 V DC Overhead line |
Maximum incline | 15% |
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The line opened on March 22, 1931, and has been electrically operated from the start. It became part of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) on January 2, 1984 and remains in their ownership. The line connects to the main R3 line at Ribes de Freser, but the stations have separate access.
The line is 12.5 km (7.8 mi) long and has a rail gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in). The first 5.5 km (3.4 mi) of the line is operated by conventional rail adhesion. The remainder of the line is operated as a rack railway, using the Abt system and with a maximum gradient of 15%. In total the line overcomes a height difference of 1,062 m (3,484 ft). The line is electrified with an overhead supply at 1500 V DC.