The project to build a TramTrain system in the Tarragona area on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in the Catalonia region continues to take shape.
Last year, the regional government announced the construction of such a system and also promised rapid realisation, with the first partial openings scheduled for 2026. Even if this proves not to be entirely realistic, the regional government and the cities involved are continuing to work on the realisation of the first phase. It will include 14 stops between Cambrils Nord and Vila-seca Estació stations, three of which will form a transport hub with the Adif stations of Cambrils Nord, Salou-Port Aventura and Vila-seca. The line will largely run on an old railway line and, in certain sections, on a separate track in the street. In future, the railway line will be made available free of charge by the state railway infrastructure company ADIF to the Catalan national railway Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). Individual sections of the line are to be operated without overhead lines using batteries, which has been the subject of controversial debate in recent months.
The project also includes the construction of a depot and workshops in Vila-seca. On the vehicle side, the purchase of 7 partially low-floor TramTrain units with a length of 40 metres is planned. An initial tender a few months ago was unsuccessful and is now being repeated with changes to some of the criteria. The costs for rolling stock and depot+workshop are expected to amount to around EUR 150 million in the first phase.
When completed, the planned Camp de Tarragona tram system (TramCamp) will connect the cities of Reus and Tarragona with other municipalities via a network of 46 kilometres with 47 stations, covering the most important urban centres and areas of activity such as hospitals, universities, leisure facilities, tourism and industry. The Tarrogona-Reus metropolitan area has a total population of around 325,000, making it the second largest conurbation in Catalonia.
We last reported on the project here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/a-tram-train-for-tarragona/
