FGC takes control of RL4 line

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) will formally take over operation of the Renfe rail line connecting Lleida to Terrassa via the Bages region in the first quarter of 2027. The route, now designated RL4, currently runs under Renfe management and links Lleida to Terrassa Estació del Nord, replacing the former R12 service to L'Hospitalet. Under the transfer, FGC Rail, the infrastructure division of FGC, will also manage the RL3 segment between Lleida and Cervera. The change marks a significant shift in regional rail operations, with FGC introducing newly built electric trains and increasing service frequency.

New trains and improved service

The new fleet, manufactured by Stadler at its Valencia plant, consists of four three-car trains. Each has 12 doors (six per side), 164 seats (140 fixed, 24 folding), and a total capacity of 439 passengers. They feature audio-visual door indicators, green for opening, red for closing, to assist passengers with hearing impairments, along with 15 panoramic passenger information screens and 16 speakers per carriage. Externally, the trains are equipped with eight LED destination displays, two front-facing and six side-mounted, to clearly indicate platform information. The first unit arrived at the Pla de Vilanoveta workshop in Lleida in September 2025 and is currently undergoing validation and homologation testing. FGC’s service plan includes 14 daily round trips between Lleida and Cervera, with five extending to Manresa and Terrassa. This represents an increase of three daily services on the RL3 route.

Stations and connections

The RL4 line serves 14 stations: three in the Anoia region, Sant Martí Sesgueioles, Calaf, and Sant Pere Sallavinera, and four in the Bages, Aguilar de Segarra, Rajadell, Manresa, and Sant Vicenç de Castellet. The line bypasses Castellbell i el Vilar, running non-stop between Sant Vicenç and Terrassa. Passengers travelling between Terrassa and L'Hospitalet currently transfer at Terrassa Nord station between the R4 Rodalies line and the RL4. This interchange will remain in place under FGC operation.

The Lleida–Terrassa service will offer more frequencies, new and more comfortable trains, greater punctuality and reliability, real-time information systems, and better coordination with high-speed and other transport networks.

, Carles Ruiz Novella, President of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat

Workforce and infrastructure upgrades

FGC is finalising the training of new drivers for the line and has launched a recruitment process for around 20 train operators and three supervisors. The Pla de Vilanoveta maintenance facility in Lleida is being upgraded to service both the new RL3/RL4 fleet and the existing Lleida–La Pobla de Segur line, with new electrified tracks and expanded operational capacity. The Catalan government updated the agreement assigning FGC responsibility for the route at the start of 2026. Once operational, FGC expects the combined Lleida–La Pobla and Lleida–Terrassa services to carry over one million passengers annually.

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Primary sources: renfe.com. Reported by elperiodico.com, FGC Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, lavanguardia.com, segre.com, transparencia.fgc.cat, Cristòfor Garcia Gil, El Periódico (CA).