Travelling from Barcelona to Tarragona through a time tunnel is now possible. Tomorrow, May 31, it is time for the first journey of the Tarraco Talgo, a train that keeps, both inside and outside, the looks of the original 60s model, one of the most innovative and most advanced trains at that time. The outside is exactly as it was, metallic with a horizontal red stripe; the inside is vintage. Getting on the Tarraco Talgo is like moving back fifty years in time: wide seats with confortable armrests, beige curtains with Velcro, rubber flooring, vintage café and background music with the best hits of 60s and 70s.
The Tarraco Talgo has been refurbished as a tourist train on the Barcelona–Tarragona route (return journey) that will provide people from the Catalan capital with a quick way of finding out more about the Imperial Tarraco and its leisure possibilities. The train, a Talgo III RD model property of the Museu del Ferrocarril de Catalunya, has 167 seats distributed in business and economy class, plus a restaurant carriage with on-board service.
The price for a return ticket on the Tarraco Talgo is 36€ on economy class, and 50# on business class. The peculiarity of the product is that it provides a unique journey right from the 60s to the 2nd Century BC. In this sense, passengers will get information on-board concerning Tarraco’s Roman past and the most significant spots, such as the Circus, the Amphitheatre, the Walls or the Pretorian Tower, among others. Besides, the tourist guide company Arrel (www.arrel.net) will actually accompany all passengers on their way to Tarragona.
Tickets can be purchased on the official renfe.com website, section “ocio en tren”, as well as at the station ticket office.
The Tarraco Talgo will only be available every Saturday, from May 31 until October 4, on the following schedule. Departure: Barcelona Estació de França, 10.13am, arriving in Tarragona at 11.43am (stopping at Barcelona Sants and Vilanova i la Geltrú). Return: Tarragona, 7.28pm, arriving in Barcelona at 8.59pm.
For these upcoming four months, Renfe has estimated that 3,000 people will use the Tarraco Talgo to visit Tarragona.
Text: Ivan Rodon (@irodon a Twitter)
Fotografies: Manel R. Granell
Translation: Artur Santos (@artur_1983 on Twitter)
