Evening Delays on R1 Line
A theft of electrical cable between La Sagrera and Badalona has caused delays on the Rodalies R1 line this Thursday evening, according to Adif. The incident occurred on the conventional-gauge Barcelona-Mataró-Maçanet line, which carries regular R1 and RG1 services. Engineering staff from Adif are on site working to repair the damage. The operator stated that services will resume 'as quickly as possible', though no specific timeframe was given.
City and Rail Authority Respond
The disruption highlights ongoing security concerns along the rail corridor. In response to repeated incidents, Adif and the Badalona City Council signed an agreement earlier this year to improve railway safety and accessibility within the municipality. Under the agreement, Adif will invest €383,000 to carry out cleaning and sanitation work and install over one kilometre of new high-security fencing. This includes new barriers between kilometre points 6/545 and 7/008 on the mountain side and between 6/545 and 7/140 on the sea side. Adif will also spend €7,000 annually on maintenance, while the council will contribute €38,000. The aim is to prevent vandalism, unauthorised crossings at known 'unofficial access points', and repeated thefts of infrastructure, which have repeatedly disrupted commuter services.
The agreement seeks to address the city's demands by ensuring the optimal condition and integrity of rail fencing.
Adif is responsible for executing and maintaining the new fencing within a maximum of 12 months. The council will report any future damage to Adif for repair and will enforce civic regulations, including sanctioning acts of vandalism.
Primary sources: badalona.cat, transportes.gob.es, rodalies.gencat.cat. Reported by lavanguardia.com, barna.news, La Vanguardia, larazon.es, Metrópoli, VilaWeb Feed, adif.es, elperiodico.com, democrata.es, elmundo.es, theobjective.com.
