The full AP-7 reopening delay will last at least another two weeks, according to the Spanish Ministry of Transport. Consequently, José Antonio Santano, the Secretary of State for Transport, confirmed this timeline during a press conference in Madrid on Friday.
This continued disruption stems from the complex recovery operation required after a RENFE train derailed in Gelida. Therefore, this recovery work is a direct consequence of the fatal train derailment in Gelida. Meanwhile, Santano stated that the damaged train is scheduled for removal this Sunday. Once the wreckage is cleared, repair work on the embankment is expected to take approximately two weeks—a deadline agreed upon with the Generalitat.
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AP-7 reopening delay timeline remains cautious
While a two-week schedule has been outlined, officials have advised the public to treat these dates as provisional estimates. In addition, they are not firm guarantees.
“In any case, this schedule must be viewed with caution, because once work begins on the embankment, new problems may arise,” warned Santano.
Despite the delay in full capacity, there is some immediate relief for motorists. Therefore, the Ministry announced that the inner lane of the AP-7 in the southbound direction will reopen tomorrow, Saturday. This move will help alleviate some congestion.
New incident on Rodalies R1 line
During the briefing, Santano also addressed a fresh incident on the Rodalies network between Tordera and Maçanet. This incident forced a temporary closure of the R1 line. Furthermore, this latest service problem follows the recent 48-hour total shutdown of the Rodalies network. He confirmed that while the event caused disruption, the train braked in advance and there were no injuries.
Regarding safety protocols, Santano noted that Adif technicians had examined the lines the previous day. In coordination with SEMAF (the train drivers’ union) and Adif, they decided to open only those lines deemed fully operational.
Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña, the president of Adif, clarified the administrative process behind the recent service interruptions. He explained that although the Generalitat held written certification that the lines were operational, drivers expressed safety doubts. This prompted a joint review of the rolling stock to rule out serious risks. Eventually, they verified that all but two lines were safe to operate. Many of these ongoing issues are attributed by critics to chronic underinvestment in Catalonia’s railway infrastructure.
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