A collapse at the Rodalies works in Montcada swallows a crane and cuts off traffic on three lines

BarcelonaA blockage in the connection well of the works to bury the R2 line, on the border between Barcelona and Montcada i Reixac, swallowed a large crane and more heavy machinery this Wednesday at noon, but it did not cause injuries. Adif sources explained to ARA that no personal injuries were registered as a result of the incident, but the sinkhole has forced to to preventively interrupt the railway traffic between Montcada i Reixac and Sant Andreu without a specific restoration date, with affectations on R2, R2 Nord and R11.

According to the infrastructure manager, one of the walls of a work shaft has partially collapsed, meaning the reinforced structure through which operators enter the subsoil, remove material, and pass machinery. Adif technicians are assessing the extent of the incident and the stability of the ground. The deputy director of Adif constructions in charge of the works, Arturo Pastor, explained that the causes and exact dimensions of the sinkhole are not yet known. "We haven't approached it yet, we are monitoring it. Now we will carry out an information campaign for the neighbors, establish control [of the sinkhole] with concrete, and fill the cavity," he said.

Regarding a possible impact on the apartment blocks closest to the works, Pastor has ruled it out for now. "Nothing suggests that there is anything unusual, the homes are undamaged; otherwise, we would have acted differently," assured the head of Adif, who also admitted that there is still "no hypothesis" about what may have happened underground.

For their part, the head of the Barcelona Firefighters' guard on duty, Clara Torre, who has led the operation, explained that the teams have carried out a reconnaissance of the area and assessed the safety of the surroundings. "We have suggested, and we are aware that it is being done, that the entire area and the elements in the surroundings be monitored. In the coming days we will receive reports every 24 hours from the auscultations and if we detect anything, we will come to carry out checks," Torre detailed. For the moment, no anomaly has been detected in the records.

"They will be pumping cement for 8 to 10 hours"

Despite the messages of calm, some neighbors are living the situation with uncertainty. Adam, a resident of the building closest to the accident, explains to ARA that he has cracks in his house, that a lot of dust enters daily, and that, in the middle of a heatwave, they cannot even open the windows due to the dirt that enters.

Other witnesses explain that a loud noise alerted people at the scene and caused everyone to leave the area moments before the collapse. On the other hand, there are some for whom the rumble went unnoticed: "Yes, I heard a noise like falling earth, but there is always a lot of noise, with all the hydraulic hammers," admits Adam.

Zaida Palet, a resident of the Vallbona neighborhood in Nou Barris, explains to ARA that the technicians have informed them that it would take "between 8 and 10 hours of pumping cement" to stabilize the area. "It's just another one in the neighborhood," laments Palet, who criticizes the lack of an Adif information office like the one in Montcada and fears that the incident will cause new delays in works that, she assures, already accumulate 14 months of delay. The neighbor also denounces the nuisances caused by the works, with dust, dirt, noise late into the night, and impacts on the neighborhood's mobility.

Alternative commuter rail service

The collapse has forced Rodalies to reorganize the service on the affected lines, and Adif has not yet specified when normal circulation can be restored. Starting this Thursday, the R2 and R2 Nord will run between Maçanet-Massanes and Montcada i Reixac, where passengers will be able to connect on foot to the R4 to continue towards Barcelona. The R2 and R2 Nord services heading to the airport and Castelldefels will start their route in Sant Andreu. The head of Adif's works has admitted that it is still "too early to know how long the disruption will last".

Regarding the R11, trains will run between Cervera de la Marenda-Portbou and Granollers Centre, from where a direct alternative bus service to Sant Andreu will be arranged. Passengers from Girona and Figueres will also be able to use the Avant services to Barcelona Sants, which will increase available seats. Rodalies will also increase information and security staff at the main affected stations. On Wednesday evening, several passengers reported a lack of information and had to improvise transfers and alternative routes to reach their destination.

A bittersweet works report

This is not the first incident recorded in the works to bury the tracks in Montcada. After 30 years of failed attempts, the long-awaited works finally began in January 2024, after decades of neighborhood demands to eliminate the railway scar that divides the municipality. During this time, almost 180 people have lost their lives at the different level crossings that cross the city.

The first year of the works already left a bittersweet result. In February 2025 the Montcada City Council reported the appearance of significant cracks in apartments in up to three buildings in the Can Sant Joan neighborhood, close to the works. The cracks appeared in ceilings, floors, and walls and, in some cases, were large enough to see the street or adjacent homes.

The municipal government attributed the damage to the work to reinforce and stabilize the land in the area, which forced the works to be temporarily stopped at that point while the surroundings were inspected and secured. On the rest of the route, the works continued according to the planned schedule.