The landslide of a shaft at the Montcada underground construction site has forced the closure of the R2, R2 Nord, and R11 lines leaving Barcelona. There are no injuries, but traffic is interrupted with no forecast for restoration.
A landslide at the shaft of the underground railway works in Montcada i Reixac has caused the closure of three Rodalies lines leaving Barcelona. The incident, which occurred at 13:50 on Wednesday, has affected the R2, R2 Nord, and R11 lines, leaving the section between Sant Andreu and Montcada out of service and causing delays and confusion among travellers.
According to sources from Adif, the landslide has affected the wall of a shaft at the construction site, causing heavy machinery to fall, including a crane. Fortunately, no personal injuries have been reported. The state-owned company has interrupted traffic as a precaution while technicians assess the stability of the ground.
The deputy construction director of Adif, Arturo Pastor, has confirmed that nearby homes have not been damaged and that technicians are focused on monitoring the concrete of the works. In the coming hours, a more comprehensive action plan will be defined, while the condition of the ground will be monitored every 24 hours in the following days, informing the firefighters of any movement.
The underground railway works in Montcada were highly demanded by local residents and mayors to eliminate the dangerous level crossing, where numerous accidents had occurred. However, this incident adds a new chapter to the railway infrastructure crisis in the province of Barcelona.
The closures have generated outrage among users, especially since Rodalies has not provided shuttle buses for the affected section. The operator recommends R2 travellers take the R4 line (Barcelona-Terrassa-Manresa) to Montcada Manresa station and walk about 400 meters to Montcada i Reixac to connect with an R2 train. For R11 users, it is suggested to transfer in Granollers, change trains to Montcada, and then make another transfer on foot.
On social media, those affected have expressed their frustration. An R2 user, Marina, has reported waiting for two hours in Montcada i Reixac and that, after following Rodalies' instructions, she found two trains without a driver and no information on when she could continue her journey. Other passengers are demanding an alternative road service between Sant Andreu and Montcada i Reixac.
This new incident adds to the Rodalies crisis, which has been plagued by problems since the fatal accident in Gelida six months ago. Passengers on the lines connecting Tarragona with Barcelona were the last to regain service after that crisis and remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the works. Additionally, users criticise that the service remains chargeable despite the accumulation of incidents.
Adif assures that it is working to restore normality as quickly as possible, but by 19:30 there was still no forecast for when the service would be restored. Meanwhile, technicians continue to assess the severity of the landslide and the stability of the ground.
For travellers in the province of Barcelona, the recommendation is to check the service status before leaving home and to plan alternative transport, as the interruption could extend over the coming hours or days.
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