The long-awaited doubling of the Rodalies line R3 as it passes through Mollet del Vallès will include the construction of a new, more central station on a viaduct. The urban integration that the Ministry of Transport and the City Council have planned does not include burying the roads –except in one area–, but does include new underpasses to connect both sides of the infrastructure.
The planned investment is around 80 million euros. This was announced today by Minister Raquel Sánchez, during a visit to the city, accompanied by Mayor Mireia Dionisio.
The section in which action will be taken is the one that goes from the Mollet-Santa Rosa station to the Parets del Vallès station, where the track doubling project begins to La Garriga, which is already being carried out. They are 2.8 kilometers with two very different parts. The most complex is that of the urban area where, in addition to unfolding the railway infrastructure, action will be taken to reduce the barrier effect of the tracks without burying them. New underpasses will be built and a part of the route will be covered next to the cemetery. The agreement is the result of months of work between the two administrations that already began to speak last year.
The future station will be located around Rambla Nova, some 750 meters north of the current Santa Rosa station, which it will replace. In this central section, where the tracks are on a slope, a 350-meter-long viaduct will be built. It will be completely permeable underneath and therefore will allow you to go through anywhere. Now you can only cross through Gaietà Vínzia (cars and pedestrians) and Rambla Nova (pedestrians). The station will be under the viaduct and access to the platforms, located above, will be through elevators or mechanical ramps.
As detailed by the minister, the transfer of the station will allow it to attract more travelers. Likewise, the urban integration of the entire railway line will also be redone and wide passages will be opened with a “gender perspective” that guarantee the safety of users. In this sense, one of the outstanding interventions is the coverage of part of the railway “trench” that exists in the area of ??the cemetery. There it is planned to cover one hectare of roads taking advantage of the splitting.
Everything must be reflected in a construction project that the ministry agrees to put out to tender in October. The company that wins the contest will have about 20 months to develop it. From there, it will be possible to tender the unfolding works.
Sánchez has pointed out that it has been decided to carry out this splitting section through an executive project, which is expected to be put out to tender between October and November, without the need for an informative study, among other reasons because the layout is maintained. This shortens the process by about four years. The mayoress recalled that Mollet had demanded that the splitting be done by burying the tracks, but now the City Council agrees with the proposal because it includes urban integration measures for the train and speeds up the work.
The total splitting of the R3 between Vic and Barcelona does not yet have defined calendars, although it is on the horizon. The Government wants it to be a reality in 2030, which would make it possible to cut the journey time, which is now one hour and twenty minutes, by about 20 minutes and provide a higher quality service.
