A train malfunction between Sitges and Garraf caused delays of more than 45 minutes on southern Catalonia’s Rodalies commuter and regional rail network on Monday, 27 July. Passengers using the R2 Sud and the R13, R14, R15, R16 and R17 lines faced fewer services and longer journeys, particularly on routes to and from Sant Vicenç de Calders.

Rodalies said the disruption reduced the R2 Sud to two trains an hour in each direction. Trains beginning or ending at Sant Vicenç de Calders were also stopping at every station on their route.

Lines affected between Sitges and Garraf

The fault affected services running through the coastal section between the Sitges and Garraf stations. Reports by El País and ACN said delays on the regional lines could exceed 45 minutes.

  • R2 Sud: two trains per hour in each direction.
  • R13, R14, R15, R16 and R17: delays of more than 45 minutes were reported.
  • Sant Vicenç de Calders services: trains made stops at all stations along the route.

Renfe, the rail operator, said trains would run at reduced speed at the affected point to protect passenger safety.

R2 Sud passengers should allow extra time and check the Rodalies service updates page before travelling, as the reduced timetable means there are only two services an hour in each direction. Travellers to or from Sant Vicenç de Calders should also expect an all-stations journey.

Disruption follows reopening after Vallbona sinkhole

The incident came less than 24 hours after the R2, R2 Nord and R11 resumed running on Sunday. Those lines had been out of service since the previous Wednesday after a sinkhole in Vallbona, Barcelona, linked to railway burial works in Montcada i Reixac.

Sílvia Paneque, the Generalitat’s Minister for Territory, responded to concern over several recent infrastructure incidents in Barcelona, including the Vallbona sinkhole, the Putxet sinkhole linked to L9 works and a gas deflagration in Sants.

“The country is not collapsing. Public concern is normal in response to these three events occurring so close together,” Paneque said in an interview with 3Cat.

Separately, Adif said a fire close to the railway infrastructure halted high-speed services between Camp de Tarragona and La Pobla de Montornés from 9.48am on Monday, affecting the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed line.

Primary sources: rodalies.gencat.cat, rodalies.gencat.cat. Reported by Source Text Link, El Periódico, russpain.com, elpais.com, ACN, tarragonadigital.com, diarimes.com, Pau Lizana Manuel, ARA, Pau Rodríguez, Dolors Bellés, Alfonso L. Congostrina.