The works to repair the Rubí tunnel will last for three years
The works will take place alongside restricted traffic of international freight and commuter trains.
BarcelonaInternational freight transport will take time to return to normal. The works to improve the Rubí tunnel will last for three years, as ARA has learned. Adif has announced the new operating hours for the infrastructure, which is affected by structural deficiencies that forced its closure two weeks ago and disrupted shipments to Europe of goods arriving by sea at the port of Barcelona, as well as those coming by train from the French border.
The Rubí tunnel partially reopened Last week, emergency repairs were carried out, but a more extensive renovation of this tunnel, inaugurated in the 1980s to divert freight traffic away from Barcelona, is necessary. These deficiencies had been identified some time ago, and Adif had already put improvement works out to tender in the middle of last year for more than 23 million euros, which are still pending award. The works to be carried out along the more than 900 meters of the tunnel will have to coexist until 2029 with reduced freight train traffic and commuter trains on the R8 line.
The main disruption to train service is expected to begin next week, as announced by the Mediterranean Rail Freight Corridor, citing sources at Adif (Spain's railway infrastructure manager). However, Adif prefers not to provide details of the project. More specifically, from Wednesday, February 18th, until mid-May, trains between Rubí and Castellbisbal will operate on a single track. Additionally, both tracks will be closed overnight from Wednesday to Sunday. Trains will not be able to pass for ten hours, from 12:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. After this first phase of construction, the impact on train schedules will be reduced, but it is expected to continue until May 2029. During this period, there will be overnight closures on both tracks between Castellbisbal and Rubí, but for a shorter period. These closures will last five hours, from 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., also from Wednesday to Sunday.
Approximately 70 trains pass through the Rubí tunnel each week, according to Joan Carles Salmerón, director of the Center for Transport Studies. The standard-gauge trains originate from the Port of Barcelona, the Morrot freight station, and the Can Tunis logistics center near the port, while those from Europe come from countries such as France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Poland. This rail service, which connects with Europe, began in 2010 with the installation of a third rail on the commuter line between Papiol and Mollet, enabling freight trains to run through the tunnel. Some Iberian-gauge trains also use this tunnel to distribute goods within Spain from Girona or to send materials from Portbou to Catalan companies like Celsa and Seat.
Additionally, the R8 commuter line runs through the tunnel, covering the route between Castellbisbal and Mollet-Sant Fost. It is a relatively short line compared to the main ones: it covers just over 27 kilometers and serves as a link to Barcelona (connecting to the Tarragona line on one side and the Girona line on the other). This line is currently closed. It is one of the sections that remains out of service because improvement works are being carried out following post-engineering inspections.commuter train accident in Gelida, January 20This revealed some shortcomings. Furthermore, various improvements under the Commuter Rail Plan were already underway on this line, crucial for advancing other network projects.
A 4% rail share
In response to the rail chaos of recent weeks caused by the Gelida accident, in which a train driver died, the Port of Barcelona is calling for a contingency plan to establish protocols for future action and to reinforce and accelerate pending investments. "It is essential to continue positioning Catalonia as a logistics hub in southern Europe and to protect economic activity," Port sources emphasize.
Currently, rail freight accounts for only 4% of the market, far from the 18% demanded by Europe. "We are the shame of Europe. We must take every possible action to move faster. It is a crime against future generations that 11,000 trucks enter through La Jonquera every day," criticizes Salmerón.
The closure of the Rubí tunnel affected international freight, but the Gelida derailment blocked trains heading south. This Monday, service was restored through Gelida – on the R4 line – after being temporarily rerouted via the Vilanova line – on the R2 line – allowing for 25% of the usual freight train volume to be covered. State-owned trains represent the largest share of rail traffic at the Port of Barcelona, with 22 daily services. They carry nearly 80% of the total, with Zaragoza as the main destination.
The entire blockade triggered a surge in truck traffic at the port to move goods. "Goods are not accumulating or being stored at the Port of Barcelona. They are coming in and going out normally. The logistics system has responded well thanks to the fact that January and February are not peak consumption months and there is available road transport capacity," explained representatives from the port authority, headed by José Alberto Carbonell. Under normal circumstances, 12% of the containers and 40% of the vehicles at the Port of Barcelona are transported by rail.