In recent weeks, Catalonia’s railway system has again come under the spotlight due to a series of technical problems. The recent incident at the França station in Barcelona was just the latest link in a long chain of disruptions affecting five lines and causing two-hour delays. These events highlight the vulnerability of the regional transportation network.
Regional authorities, including government head Salvador Illa, plan to meet with Renfe and Adif executives to discuss ways to reduce the negative impact of large-scale modernization work. The issue is particularly pressing following Transport Minister Óscar Puente’s admission that Rodalies is considered one of the country’s most problematic networks.
Official data for 2022–2024 show that during this period, 693 serious incidents were recorded on the Rodalies and Regionales lines. On average, that is one and a half incidents per day. As a result, 2.4 million people were affected, and total delay time exceeded 420,000 minutes, equivalent to 291 days.
Local residents, like Francesc López from Mataró, have been forced to switch from trains to buses due to persistent delays. On some routes, such as Molins de Rei – Maçanet, passengers could have lost up to 46 days over three years due to 27 major breakdowns.
The statistics only include incidents affecting at least 10,000 people on commuter lines and 1,000 on regional lines, as well as those causing delays of more than 100 minutes. The reasons vary — from infrastructure and equipment failures to weather conditions and the impact of other operators.
In 2024, the number of incidents surged sharply, reaching 316—an increase of 146% compared to the previous year. October proved to be particularly challenging, with 59 cases recorded. This coincided with the active phase of track renovation works, including in the Roda de Berà tunnel in Tarragona.
Analyzing data by route shows that most issues affect medium-distance trains. Of the 693 incidents, only 52 were related to suburban routes; the rest involved regional services. However, due to lower passenger traffic, the overall impact of these disruptions on the number of affected passengers is less significant.
For example, in May 2023, out of 26 incidents, only one affected the R2 line, while the rest involved Media Distancia trains. Among the most serious incidents was a fire in a signal room near Gavà, which paralyzed traffic for 73 hours and affected 25,000 people. On several lines, including R1, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17, nearly 99,000 passengers felt the consequences of this incident.
Authorities in Catalonia emphasize the need to reduce such incidents and urge consideration not only of technical modernization aspects but also of the system’s actual operation. Particular attention is being paid to the R4 line, where large-scale works are ongoing, and the new academic year is expected to be a serious test for the operator.
