R2 Sud Disrupted by Repeated Copper Thefts
A fifth copper cable theft in six days has struck the tunnel linking Estació de França and Glòries in Barcelona, Adif confirmed on Saturday 12 September 2026. The incident has disrupted services on the R2 Sud line, which now runs at a reduced frequency of two trains per hour in each direction between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Passeig de Gràcia. Passengers intending to reach Estació de França must transfer to Regional trains to complete their journey. This follows a similar theft on Friday that caused delays and reduced service frequency between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Estació de França, with knock-on delays affecting Regional trains on the Garraf line. Earlier on Saturday, an unrelated signalling issue temporarily halted R1 services, but operations were restored by around 14:00, with services gradually returning to normal.
Government Responds with €17m Emergency Contract
In response to a surge in thefts across the Rodalies network, the Spanish government has activated a €17 million emergency contract to replace 70 kilometres of stolen cable on the R3 line, where 63 thefts have been recorded in 2026 alone. The measure was announced on 10 September by Secretary of State for Transport José Antonio Santano during a visit to works on the R3 line. Santano stated that despite the thefts and a wall collapse in Montcada caused by March rains, the planned February 2027 completion date for the R3 duplication works between Parets and La Garriga remains unchanged. The 16-month closure, previously announced by the government, is still on schedule.
The installation of these surveillance cameras at Estació de França has already been awarded.
Enhanced Security Measures Underway
As part of the emergency response, the Ministry of Transport is deploying high-capacity, high-tech surveillance cameras across vulnerable points in the rail network. The installation at Estació de França has already been awarded, according to Santano, who added that the Ministry is working closely with the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police) to identify weak points and track both thieves and those involved in trading stolen copper. The Ministry has also awarded security and surveillance contracts worth €150 million nationally to protect Adif and Adif AV infrastructure, as confirmed on the Ministry’s official portal.
Long-Term Works Continue Unaffected
Major infrastructure projects, including the duplication of the R3 line and accessibility improvements at Montcada-Ripollet station, a €4.3 million project recently awarded by Adif, remain on track. The Montcada-Bifurcació works are expected to finish in December 2026. Sílvia Paneque, Minister of Territory, joined Santano on site last week to review progress. Officials reiterated that while vandalism poses ongoing challenges, it is not derailing the broader Rodalies improvement plan.
Primary sources: mptmd.gob.es. Reported by 3cat.cat, elperiodico.com, infobae.com, elnacional.cat, lavanguardia.com, adif.es, europapress.tv, efe.com, elpuntavui.cat, 3CatInfo Barcelona.
