Commuter rail is partially operating: we explain which lines have trains running.
Some trains are running and others are delayed, while inspections are carried out at points at risk of landslides.
BarcelonaThe commuter rail service is operating on a partial schedule this Saturday morning, despite Adif and Renfe having announced to the Catalan government in the early hours that it would be suspended all day. Early this morning, Renfe clarified that the commuter service would be partial because inspections would be carried out at points of risk of landslides. In fact, there was another landslide on Friday afternoon between Maçanet and Blanes. According to Renfe, the usual service will be running on the R2, R2 North, R2 South, and R8 lines, the R4 between Terrassa and Martorell Central, as well as the R16 and R17 lines. There will be disruptions on the other lines. In some cases, some trains are running, and in others, an alternative bus service is operating. According to a statement released by Renfe early this morning, the service is affected due to new geotechnical inspections being carried out by engineers at points of risk of landslides. This measure is in addition to the safety measures agreed upon last Thursday with the train drivers' unions. While these works are underway, passengers will have several alternative road services available on the affected sections.
Affected Lines
On the R1 line, there will be alternative bus service between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, the site of the landslide, and between Badalona and Montgat. On the rest of the line, there will be two trains per hour in each direction, explains the Catalan News Agency (ACN). On the R2 Sud line, there is alternative bus service between Castelldefels and Garraf. On the R3 line, there is alternative bus service between Fabra i Puig and La Garriga, and there is no service between Ribes and Puigcerdà due to weather conditions. The R4 line has its usual service between Terrassa and Martorell and between Manresa and Martorell; alternative bus service between Terrassa and Manresa and between Martorell Central and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia; and one train per hour in each direction with a new timetable between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Regarding regional trains, on the R11 there is alternative road service between Figueres and Portbou due to infrastructure work. On the R13 there is alternative road service between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Lleida, as well as on the R14 between Reus and Lleida and on the R15 between Reus and Ribarroja. The RL4 has alternative road service between Manresa and Cervera. Renfe will provide shuttle buses on the broadband track for passengers traveling to Lleida. Additional information and passenger assistance staff have been activated at all affected stations. Renfe recommends that passengers check timetables and plan their journeys in advance.
Since Friday night, train service has been experiencing problems on all lines after the day was marked by another partial shutdown of the R1 line due to a new landslide onto the tracks between Tordera and Maçanet. The incident—which occurred at a point not identified in the surveys carried out this week—has reopened the crisis with train drivers, who claim they cannot work safely, less than 24 hours after rail service was restored.
After midnight, representatives from the Catalan Government, Renfe, and Adif were still meeting at the Department of Territory to monitor the rail situation. According to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), several risk points on the network requiring urgent action have been identified. At the end of the meeting in the early hours of the morning, the Department of Territory of the Catalan Government announced that Adif and Renfe had informed them that service would be completely suspended on Saturday. However, early this morning, some train drivers returned to work and some trains were running, although it was unclear how delayed they were.
The meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, but it was postponed several times, and the day ended without any announcements, with authorities planning further meetings throughout the weekend. The Department of Territory has already announced that it will hold follow-up meetings this Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Government sources assure that a complete service shutdown like Wednesday's has not been considered, but they also cannot guarantee how service will be provided this Saturday and anticipate "disruptions," without specifying their extent. The same sources attribute the problems affecting the commuter rail network to the intense and continuous rains of recent days. The latest incident was a landslide on Friday afternoon that forced the closure of the R1 line between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes stations. The line is currently not operating in either direction because it is a single track. The train drivers' association immediately expressed their discontent with this landslide, as it occurred after inspections and trial runs on all commuter rail routes, in which Adif, Renfe, and the Semaf union participated.
