Adif partially reopens the Rubí tunnel to international freight trains

BarcelonaAfter being closed for a week, the Rubí tunnel partially reopened this Thursday at midday, according to sources at Adif (Spain's railway infrastructure manager). This marks the beginning of the reactivation of international freight rail traffic, which had been halted both at the Port of Barcelona and at the French border. The first train to pass through the Rubí tunnel was a test train, operated by Captrain, to ensure the safety of the infrastructure. This test run is similar to the trial runs carried out on commuter rail lines before they are reopened, as industry sources indicate. Next will be a train coming from Germany and destined for the Port of Barcelona. It had been stopped for fifteen days between France and Figueres, loaded with cars from the Mercedes-Benz group, and is therefore known as the "Mercedes-Benz train." Daimler, referring to one of the founders of the automotive group.

The partial reopening of the Rubí tunnel will allow for the gradual recovery of rail traffic, which will have to coexist with the ongoing works along the tunnel's more than 900 meters. Emergency repairs have been carried out in recent days to address structural damage within the tunnel. These issues had been identified some time ago, and Adif (Spain's railway infrastructure manager) had already put improvement works out to tender in the middle of last year for €23.3 million, which are still pending award. The technical report indicated that the tunnel presented "untreated cracks in sections without existing reinforcement," "dampness, leaks, and efflorescence," as well as "insufficient cover" in "reinforced" areas. Freight trains will be able to pass through on a restricted basis, although a specific date for full reopening has not yet been set. Before the Gelida accident, in which a train driver died, the Port of Barcelona received three international trains daily, a lower volume compared to the 22 daily domestic train services.

Southbound freight traffic to the rest of Spain has also been affected by the closure of the line through Gelida – the R4 line – which is expected to reopen next Monday. After three days without any service, this traffic was redirected to the Vilanova line – the R2 line – with limited nighttime service, and capacity has been reduced to around 25% of what it was before the accident. This is the largest flow of rail traffic for the Port of Barcelona, ​​handling almost 80% of its total freight, with Zaragoza as the main destination.