Train services have been progressively restored on most lines following the storm, the Vilanova accident, and the machinists' strike. Councillor Sílvia Paneque defends that the network responded "reasonably well".
The Catalan railway network faces this Friday the final stretch of a week marked by incidents. The storm last weekend forced the suspension of all services on Saturday night, and since then, a new strike by machinists and the accident in Vilanova i la Geltrú have compounded the situation. According to ara.cat, the recovery has been uneven across different areas.
The Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque, stated this Friday that the network had responded "reasonably well" this time, attributing it in part to the €140 million invested after the January crisis to repair the infrastructure.
"The network has responded reasonably well"
On the R1, the storm left half the line affected. On Tuesday, trains only ran between Hospitalet de Llobregat and Arenys de Mar, with buses covering the section to Maçanet-Massanes. Service was restored across the entire line on Wednesday, albeit at reduced capacity, with buses between Mataró and Sils. By Thursday, it was fully restored.
The R2 North suffered serious issues in Granollers. On Monday, services were interrupted between Granollers and Montmeló, and the section between Granollers Centre and Sant Celoni was covered by road transport. By Thursday night, Rodalies announced that the entire route had been restored.
The R2 South was affected on Tuesday night due to an accident in Vilanova i la Geltrú: a tree and a slope fell onto a train without causing injuries. The line was temporarily closed and did not fully recover until Thursday, amidst the ongoing machinists' strike.
The R7 and R8 lines could not operate until Wednesday, also affected by the strike, and maintained alternative bus services. Regular frequencies were gradually restored from Thursday.
The railway accident in Vilanova i la Geltrú forced the suspension of services between Vilanova and Sant Vicenç de Calders. The entire area of Camp de Tarragona and the south was affected by the combination of the accident, the storm, and the strike. The southern lines returned to normal before those in Camp de Tarragona. The R17 and R2 took longer due to damage on the Tarragona-Salou-Port Aventura section; buses were needed until Wednesday noon.
On the R3, the situation worsened as the line already had alternative plans due to doubling works. On Tuesday, trains were running between La Garriga and Ripoll, with buses on other sections. On Wednesday, service was extended to Puigcerdà and La Tor de Querol. By Thursday, it reopened, but with buses between Ripoll and Puigcerdà.
The R4 covered the section between Terrassa and Manresa by road on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Rodalies announced a gradual recovery, although buses remained on several sections, and by Thursday, the entire route was restored. On the RL4, between Lleida and Manresa, the Manresa-Terrassa section was also covered by road until Thursday.
After five days of interruptions, trains on the R11 between Portbou and Barcelona regained momentum on Thursday afternoon and resumed service this Friday. Early on, there were still delays of up to half an hour, and buses were maintained for cancelled services. In the same area, the RG1 required buses between Portbou, Figueres, and Sils, and a direct service between Girona and Sant Andreu until Thursday.
The R13 and R14 lines have maintained trains between Lleida-Pirineus and Les Borges Blanques, and between La Plana de Picamoixons and Barcelona (passing through Reus on the R14), while the section between Lleida and La Plana has been covered by buses. This Friday morning, the situation remained the same. The RL3 has maintained railway service throughout the week.
For users, the recommendation remains to consult the official Rodalies channels before travelling, as some lines maintain alternative road services and punctual delays may occur.
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