Rail traffic in southern Catalonia was badly disrupted on Monday after a train broke down between Sitges and Garraf. Delays of more than 45 minutes hit the R13, R14, R15, R16 and R17 Rodalies lines. Rodalies cut R2 Sud service to two trains per hour in each direction, while trains to and from Sant Vicenç de Calders had to stop at every station on their route. The Sitges to Garraf section links Barcelona with coastal communities and the Camp de Tarragona. A separate failure between Sitges and Garraf also delayed the R2 and southern regional services, while an incident in Cunit affected the R2 Sud and the R13, R14, R15 and R16.
The breakdown came less than a day after the R2, R2 Nord and R11 lines resumed service following a prolonged suspension. A sinkhole in Vallbona, Barcelona, linked to ongoing underground works in Montcada i Reixac, had caused the closure. Renfe, the rail operator, has imposed speed restrictions at the site to protect passengers. The incidents have sharpened scrutiny of Catalonia’s rail infrastructure as the region recovers from earlier disruptions. Recent interruptions also include the cable theft that halted the entire R3 Rodalies line and affected thousands of commuters, as detailed in this related report.
Infrastructure damage, weather incidents and maintenance work have contributed to a wider period of instability across the Rodalies network. In October, Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said weather-related incidents had dropped from 630 in January to 16. He attributed the decline to approximately €200 million in emergency works carried out during the year. Adif also deployed more than 110 workers to repair storm damage, while contingency plans included road alternatives for several lines, including the R13, R14, R15 and R16. Separately, October service restrictions on the R13 and R14 required passengers to travel by replacement road transport between Lleida-Pirineus and La Plana de Picamoixons.
A fire near the high-speed rail infrastructure also halted AVE services between Camp de Tarragona and La Pobla de Montornés from 9:48 a.m. on Monday. Adif said the disruption affected trains on the Madrid to Barcelona high-speed line, adding pressure to the region’s transport system. A separate fire on the high-speed corridor between Ricla and Plasencia de Jalón in Aragón shows how infrastructure damage can force trains onto a single track and delay services more widely. That was a distinct incident from the fire reported near Camp de Tarragona.
Public concern has grown over the frequency of recent rail and infrastructure incidents. Sílvia Paneque, the Generalitat’s Minister of Territory, addressed those concerns in a 3Cat interview. She said the Vallbona sinkhole, the Putxet incident related to the L9 line and a gas explosion in Sants were unrelated in terms of contractors and those responsible. Paneque said the country was not “collapsing” and defended the administration’s response, pointing to prompt emergency action and efforts to restore normality.
Rail reliability has also drawn political scrutiny to Paneque. The Catalan Parliament reprimanded her in March 2025 after disruption linked to works at the Roda de Berà tunnel. During another rail crisis in January 2026, she criticized Renfe for failing to comply with Generalitat instructions and Adif over preventive maintenance. The crisis led to the departures of the Rodalies director and Adif’s maintenance chief. ERC and Junts called for Paneque to resign, but President Salvador Illa kept her in office.
On the Montcada i Reixac sinkhole, Paneque said the Generalitat was still waiting for a full report on its causes. She stressed the complexity of the underground works and said the government would demand any necessary improvements identified from Adif to prevent similar incidents. Paneque also acknowledged that public trust in Rodalies had eroded, blaming decades of underinvestment. She noted that 180 improvement projects were underway and described the work as both impressive and disruptive.
Spain’s rail network, particularly in Catalonia, has faced repeated challenges in recent years, from technical failures to external incidents such as theft and fire. Rodalies carries daily passengers across the region, and disruptions can quickly affect commuters and local economies. Investment in upgrades and repairs reflects the scale of the challenge and the authorities’ recognition that transport infrastructure needs to be more resilient. As incidents accumulate, pressure is mounting on operators and government bodies to deliver lasting solutions and restore public confidence in Catalonia’s rail services.
