The chairman of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), Enric Ticó; the director of the Catalan Tourist Agency (Agència Catalana de Turisme), Xavier Espasa; and the mayor of Santa Coloma de Cervelló (Baix Llobregat), Gerard Segú, presented this train on Saturday, which the rail company has customized with aesthetic elements of the Gaudí Crypt. The presentation took place at the Colònia Güell station on the Llobregat-Anoia line, coinciding with the Festa del Modernisme which is being held there this weekend.  

This customization, the first of a train interior, is an initiative of FGC and the Barcelona Provincial Authority (Diputació), with the collaboration of 3M, Grup ESSA, Nogales Barcelona and Advanced Leisure Services, and seeks to showcase the importance of this historic monument, by Antoni Gaudí, and its link to the rail station.

Environmentally-friendly and sustainable material

The decoration of the train with the most typical architectonic elements of the crypt has been adapted to the layout and particular features of the train interior. Accordingly, the ceiling, doors, sides, seat-backs and end wall of the train have been adorned with a special decoration that shows elements identified with the emblematic Gaudí building: details of the ceiling, the columns, the stained-glass windows, the altar and the crypt’s characteristic pews.

These visual elements are combined with texts explaining the technical feature of the crypt and other points of interest of the construction process which FGC passengers can read while they travel by train. In addition, the type of vinyl used - 3M Envision – is sustainable and PVC-free and therefore is an environmentally friendly solution.

World Heritage

Declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2005, the Gaudí Crypt is one of the most emblematic parts of the historic Colònia Güell. In 1898, Eusebi Güell commissioned Antoni Gaudí to build a church of the colony in Santa Coloma de Cervelló. The importance of this church in Gaudi’s work lies in the fact that it is the first time the architect uses his architectonic innovations in a unified way: catenary arches (curve formed by a wire stretched between two poles and which varies according to the weight), the dynamic and fluid treatment of the interior space or the mechanisms merging the building with the natural setting.

The church also includes numerous examples of Gaudí’s mastery of applied arts, both in respect of furniture and ornamental items.

Biosphere certification

Colònia Güell is the first World Heritage monument to obtain the Biosphere Discover certificate, awarded as recognition of sustainability by the Institute for Responsible Tourism (Institut de Turisme Responsable -ITR), a not-for-profit organization that collaborates with UNESCO and is a member of the UNO.

Biosphere Discover certification means that the handling of visits to the Colònia Güell and Gaudí Crypt follows sustainable tourist organization parameters, promoting the local economy and identity, and encouraging visits to the Crypt using public transport.

Combined tickets

Colònia Güell can be visited with FGC thanks to the Turistren combined tickets which take passengers to places of tourist and cultural interest that can be visited near railway stations and thus promote the leisure activities offered that are associated to the rail network.

The Combinat Güell ticket includes a return ticket for a rail journey covering two zones, the entrance ticket to the Crypt and an audio guide so that visitors can discover all the secrets of the history and construction of this site.

More information: www.turistren.cat.