Via Verda de la Terra Alta
Via Verda de la Terra Alta ( Catalan for Green Path of Terra Alta ) is a Spanish railway cycle path and runs with a length of 23.6 kilometers on the route of a former railway line from El Pinell de Brai (train station) to Arnes / Lledó . Because of the difficult geographical conditions, the route leads through 20 tunnels and over 5 viaducts.
The completely asphalted and well signposted bike path allows beautiful scenic insights, especially in its course along the Canaletas river . The tunnels are illuminated where necessary, provided the photovoltaic systems have not been damaged or stolen. Since the railway line has no inclines of more than 3.5%, 330 meters of altitude can be overcome effortlessly over a distance of almost 24 km.
The path begins as an extension of the Camí Natural del Baix Ebre railway cycle path at the old train station 6 km southwest of the actual town of El Pinell de Brai in the Terra Alta wine-growing region . At the beginning of 2008, the extension of the cycle path on the old railway line towards Alcañiz to Valjunquera was completed (see Vía Verde de la Val de Zafán )
The former stations are:
- El Pinell de Brai (train station)
- Prat de Comte (train station)
- Bot
- Horta de Sant Joan (train station)
- Arnes / Lledó (train station)
History of the railway line
The section described is part of a project for a railway line from La Puebla de Híjar via Tortosa to Sant Carles de la Ràpita on the southern edge of the Ebro Delta , which was started in 1882, the last section of which was never completed. The line was in operation until 1971 and reached the height of its importance during the Spanish Civil War . The burial of a tunnel was the official reason for the cessation of rail traffic after the profitability of the railway line had steadily declined.