Barcelona commuters and rail fans can now ride the historic Tren Granota again, as Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) has launched the new season of the Series 400 train on the route between Les Planes and Terrassa and Sabadell.
The service began on 3 May and will run on the first Sunday of each month from May to December, with no trips in July or August. Confirmed dates are 7 June, 6 September, 4 October, 1 November and 6 December. Fares depend on origin and destination, and passengers can use an integrated ticket or an FGC-specific ticket.
Full timetable and price details are available on the official Turistren website: turistren.cat. For more Catalonia-wide transport and local news, see our news coverage.
The train earned its nickname from its colours and front headlights, which mid-20th century passengers said looked like a frog. It was designed in FGC’s Sarrià workshops by the company’s own engineers in the post-war period, in response to growing demand on the suburban lines linking Sarrià with Les Planes, Sant Cugat, Rubí, Terrassa and Sabadell, which opened between 1916 and 1922.
The first Series 400 set entered service in 1944 and ran until 1996. When FGC took over management of these lines in 1979, it began modernising the 14 existing compositions, which had accumulated wear. The final journey of the Series 400 trains took place on 20 June 1996, when they were replaced by Series 112 units.
Three original carriages, the ones that best preserved their condition, were kept as historical material. After full restoration and a technical and safety review, they have now returned to service as a single unit. In 2023, the Tren Granota was declared a National Cultural Asset of Interest, underlining its place in Catalan heritage.
The route also passes through parts of Barcelonès and Vallès Occidental, with Modernista-style stations such as Les Planes and Sant Quirze del Vallès, built under the influence of the garden city concept. The line also links Terrassa, Rubí and Sabadell, while the Serra de Collserola remains part of the wider landscape along the journey.
