Puente says that work on the Garraf tunnels will begin this month

Madrid / BarcelonaWork on the Garraf railway tunnel, on the R2 South line, will begin this March, as announced by Transport Minister Óscar Puente on Monday. Puente noted that this infrastructure improvement project has already been tendered and contracted, but work had not yet commenced because the Catalan government (Generalitat) had deemed it necessary to prioritize other lines on the commuter rail network. However, the work schedule for this section of the R2 South will no longer be postponed, Puente explained during a breakfast briefing held at the Ateneo de Madrid. In fact, Adif and the Commuter Rail Plan had already anticipated that these maintenance works on the Garraf tunnels—through which the trains pass and which have suffered damage for years due to corrosion caused by sea air humidity—would begin at the end of last year or the beginning of 2026. To carry out this work, however, the third-track installation in Martorell had to be completed so that once the R2 line is closed, the Regional trains would have to be diverted onto this other track. These works will force trains to run on a single track between Garraf and Vilanova i la Geltrú, which will reduce service between these stations and, consequently, force trains on lines R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 towards Barcelona to be diverted via Vilafranca. To minimize disruption to passengers, Renfe has proposed maintaining 8 trains per hour in each direction from Barcelona to El Prat de Llobregat, 6 trains to Castelldefels, 4 to Garraf, and 2 to Sant Vicenç de Calders (Baix Penedès). They are also planning two additional trains in the morning and evening to maintain the connection with Barcelona on weekdays (although the route will be extended via Vilafranca), as well as several direct bus services, increased intercity bus service, and a new service between Altafulla and Torredembarra and Barcelona.

Alert for emergency exits

However, maintenance problems are not the only issues affecting the R2 tunnels. The section between Castelldefels and Sitges was inaugurated over a century ago, in 1881, and posed a significant challenge due to the terrain's topography, and already For months, user platforms and unions have been denouncing that there is also an obvious problem with a lack of emergency exits. in this area. "Fortunately, the tunnel has sections inside and others where it opens to the outside, due to the mountain's characteristics, but these aren't emergency exits; if a large evacuation were needed at one of these points, the teams would have to descend from the road above, or the passengers would have to board the overpass," said Francisco Cárdenas, the UGT representative for Renfe in Catalonia, to ARA.

Dignity on the Tracks has also frequently denounced that, in the event of an incident with a train inside one of these tunnels, the only option for passengers is "to walk out"; a point that Adif also confirms. The problem has been identified for years, and all the relevant administrations are aware of it. There are even projects already underway to build a new, more modern tunnel on the inland side (the side furthest from the sea): a much larger project than the one that will begin now, which will address exclusively the maintenance issues. Minister Puente acknowledged this Monday that the commuter rail infrastructure faces a period of complex construction work, to the point that they are "on the verge" of further disrupting service. "Where would they do a project [in Catalonia] that isn't already underway?" the minister asked, also focusing on the R1 line, where he recognized that the sea is "encroaching" on many sections. "It's not easy to relocate it," he warned. He added that if the debate takes place, factors such as the density of housing around the infrastructure and the cost of burying it will have to be considered. "It's extremely high," he said. Puente proposed alternatives such as "elevating" some sections of the infrastructure.

No tolls this legislative session

During his speech, the minister appealed for the need for a national infrastructure pact, which includes not only trains but also roads. Here, Puente ruled out the return of tolls during this legislative term—in fact, The Spanish government made a deal with Brussels to avoid its implementation.—but he acknowledged that the debate must take place, especially given the ongoing investment deficit in state highways, which he estimated at 4 billion euros and which could only be resolved with additional funding. Recently, amidst the ongoing problems on the AP-7 motorway, The Chamber of Commerce demanded payment for use

"There are only two ways to sustain it: either through taxes [from everyone], or through those who use the roads. In the case of air transport, the plane pays; in maritime transport, the ship; and in part of rail transport, the train. The debate must take place regarding road transport." In any case, he said that if an additional contribution from drivers and users were ultimately chosen, it should be "fair and equitable" for the entire state.