This Pinxo Train Greenway is a bit unique in our panorama of routes along old railways. And this is because, strictly speaking, the trains that went up from Girona to Banyoles did not belong to a "railway" concession but to a "tram" one.  In this way, although the trains were not very different from any other train, they ran along streets and roadsides, as is usual on tram lines. This resulted in significant savings when it came to levelling land or acquiring it. However, due to this, when the line ended, its rails were removed, and the roads regained all their ground for asphalt and cars.

But let’s explain things step by step. Our Banyoles line is a late daughter of the first tram that linked Flassá Station with the Mediterranean coast in Palamós, which was put into service in 1887 by "Sociedad Anónima del Tranvía del Bajo Empordà." In Flassá it linked up with the broad-gauge trains of “Compañía del Norte,” on the line to Portbou or to Girona and Barcelona. In 1921 the tramway, which was 34 km long with a 75-cm-gauge track, was extended 16 km to the south, to reach Girona, being then owned by "S.A. de Ferrocarriles Económicos de Cataluña," a company with Belgian capital. And the final expansion came in 1928, when 14 km of tracks were laid from Pont Major Station, halfway between Flassá and Girona, to the shore of the lake.

The Spanish Civil War was especially harsh in this section, with many of its stations being bombed and some trains lost. After the war, the entire network was taken over by “Explotación de Ferrocarriles por el Estado,” which kept the line operating. However, its expenses were more than double its income. In these circumstances, the government decreed the closure of the line, which became effective on March 1, 1956, resulting in more roads and the end of almost all traces of that tram “carrilet.”