First day of the R3 macro-outage: 21,000 users affected for at least 16 months

CentillasThe massive closure of the R3 commuter rail line has begun, disrupting service for over a year (16 months). For now, the first phase of the operation begins this Tuesday, which will mean no trains will run between La Garriga and Montcada Bifurcació station until at least May 2026. However, the closures at various points along the line—to carry out the track doubling work on the R3—will be extended until January 2027. This 16-month closure will make this the longest ever carried out on the commuter rail network.

On the first morning of the closure, the alternative road service started with some disruptions. Specifically, between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m., only two of the six scheduled vehicles departed. However, service subsequently returned to normal. But this wasn't the only incident this morning: an infrastructure problem forced a 45-minute halt to train service between La Garriga (where train service is being restored after the outage) and Vic. The incident kept trains at a standstill, and Renfe has considered operating an alternative road service between the two cities, in addition to the existing macro-provision.

Despite the morning's disruptions, the Regional Minister for Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition, Sílvia Paneque, defended the planning and sizing of the alternative transport plan for the R3 works, after monitoring its first hours of operation. "It's only fair that users have alternative transport, just as they had rail transport before the outage," she said. Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, echoed this sentiment, saying that the alternative road plan due to the massive outage on the R3 line is working "reasonably well" despite the incident with the signaling system that disrupted traffic between La Garriga and Vic for 45 minutes. Carmona emphasized that 90 people are providing information at all stations and said the buses are "working well."

At this time, in Centelles, the alternative bus plan due to the massive outage on the R3 commuter rail line is operating without incident. For the moment, commuters are having no problems locating buses, and there are enough seats for all arriving buses. However, workers estimate that the disruptions this morning on the commuter rail line could cause congestion throughout the morning. Centelles is one of the key points of the massive outage: from here, approximately 60 direct buses will depart daily to Barcelona starting today. Buses also depart and stop in the municipalities along the commuter rail line that are out of service due to the construction.

Despite the disruption the massive outage represents for daily life, commuters are optimistic about the improvements it promises. This is the case for Irina Masnou, a university student, who is "more than delighted" with the direct buses from Centelles to Fabra i Puig station in Barcelona. "The journey will be even shorter than when I used to take the train. It seems like a convenient alternative while the construction is being carried out." Most commuter train users interviewed by ARA in Centelles were already aware of the bus service offered starting today, and they commented that they've received a fair amount of information about it, especially those who participate in Renfe's online channels.

Half an hour more journey

The disruption to traffic will affect 21,000 daily users, and Renfe and Adif have prepared an alternative road transport plan that will have Centelles and Fabra i Puig station in Barcelona as hubs. These two points are where the hubs where the 60 buses that will be activated will depart from and arrive to try to minimize the effects of the massive power outage on passengers. This will provide 43,500 daily road seats, at a cost of €56.4 million.

The bus service, which will be activated starting this Tuesday, will connect Barcelona—from Fabra i Puig station—with all the municipalities along the line that will be left without trains. This means they will stop at the stations of Mollet - Santa Rosa, Parets del Vallès, Granollers-Canovelles, Les Franques, and La Garriga. There will also be direct shuttles from La Garriga, Parets del Vallès, and Centelles to Fabra i Puig (in reverse). At the same time, there will also be direct buses from Centelles to Vic (in reverse).

For all these reasons, Renfe estimates that the alternative plan will increase the journey time by between 20 and 30 minutes compared to what passengers on this line typically take when traveling by train.

While the R3 line is closed, the Government has scheduled biweekly meetings with Renfe and Adif to coordinate the works and ensure the proper functioning of the proposed transport alternatives. However, they advise conducting a weekly evaluation of incidents and improving infrastructure security to prevent vandalism. The Generalitat (Catalan government) and the various administrations also promised improved management, with increased staffing to speed up repairs and optimize train maintenance, with the aim of offering a more efficient service.