The Spanish Government, the Generalitat and the town councils of Figueras and Vilafant have signed a protocol to move the conventional train station from the centre of Figueras to the outskirts, next to the current high-speed station in Vilafant.
The planned investment exceeds 150 million euros, and the promoters defend the operation as a historic urban and railway transformation for the city.
The new intermodal station will unify all rail services, allowing the elimination of the tracks and level crossings that currently cross the city centre. This measure has sparked a lot of discussion in the city and has been called for by municipal authorities for years as a safety and urban planning solution.
The main criticism is the remoteness of Vilafant Station. It is more than 1.5 kilometres from the centre and 2.3 kilometres from the current station. The additional 30 minutes of walking from the latter station deters people from taking the train. On the other hand, neighbourhood and environmental associations warn that most of the journeys to the new station will be made by car.
Moreover, bringing the conventional rail to Vilafant will mean building a bypass that will lengthen the journey time.
