The storm leaves two dead and one missing in Catalonia. Rodalies and FGC reopen in sections while El Prat accumulates 385 cancelled flights and the Plaza Cataluña tunnel affects the network.
Mobility in Catalonia is moving towards normality, but it is doing so in fits and starts. Renfe has restored the R2 Sud, the R4 between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Sants, the R15, and the R16, while the rest of the Rodalies lines remain out of service until further notice. The white marches are reviewing the tracks and overhead lines before giving the green light to more sections.
The El Prat airport has accumulated 385 cancelled flights, according to the provisional balance from AENA, of which around 200 correspond to the Barcelona facility, not all due to bad weather. There are delays exceeding five hours. The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has acknowledged a significant suspension of flights and passengers stranded at the airports of Barcelona and Girona, as reported by moncloa.com.
Since 12:30 PM, an alternative road service has been operating for the R3, R13, and R14 lines. In FGC, the Llobregat-Anoia line and the Vallès line are already in operation. The forecast for Monday is not good: the northern section of the R1 and the R11 will not be able to resume service early, according to the Ministry of Transport, and the R2 Nord and R4 will operate with single-track sections due to landslides.
One of the critical points is on the R1, between Arenys de Mar and Canet de Mar, where the overflow of a stream has left mud, stones, and sediment on the track. Adif also has open fronts on the R1 between Sant Pol de Mar and Calella, on the R2 Nord with a collapsed slope in Granollers, on the R3 up to Ripoll, and on the R4 Nord, where a tree is being removed in Viladecavalls that affects the overhead line.
A flooded tunnel under Plaza Cataluña affects more lines than any cut track in the periphery: the network stands or falls by its central node.
The Plaza Cataluña tunnel is the focus of the most significant maintenance operations. It carries most of the Rodalies lines, and Adif is working with three pumping teams to evacuate the accumulated water. The situation will be confirmed in the early hours. If the tunnel is not operational by early morning, half the network will remain hanging by a thread.
The Barcelona Metro resumed service early in the morning but maintains four lines with disruptions. The L3 has been operating normally since the afternoon, although some access points remain closed: Glòries (Plaza de las Glòries Catalanas) and Florida (Avenida Masnou) on the L1, and Zona Universitària (Parque Cervantes) on the L3. Above ground, about ten bus lines in Barcelona are operating diverted or limited, such as the D50 and 76 on Avenida de Vallbona or the 112 on Calle de Cànoves. The Tram has also progressively restored service.
Long-distance services are also suffering. Renfe has cancelled the AVE Figueres-Madrid and the Euromed Figueres-Alicante on the stretch between Figueres and Barcelona, and has reduced the morning journeys of the AVE and Avant trains between Barcelona and Figueres. The international AVE Barcelona-Lyon has delayed its departure. Air traffic controllers warn of delays due to storms in Spanish airspace and the southwest of France, directly affecting the airports of Barcelona, Ibiza, and Palma.
At the Sants station, security and assistance services have been deployed to assist travellers affected by the cancellations and delays. Transport authorities insist that, despite the exceptional rainfall records, the structural damage detected is limited, with only two minor landslides in the network.
The next milestone is the early hours. Adif will then confirm whether the tunnel can receive trains again, and that decision will determine which lines start operating on Monday morning. Users of the R1 and R11 already know that their day will begin with buses; those from Maresme will need patience.
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