Barcelona commuters faced fresh rail disruption on Saturday after a works carriage ran uncontrolled for about 20 kilometres on the Rodalies R4 line before crashing in Castellbisbal.
According to RAC1, the carriage had been parked in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. For reasons still under investigation, its brakes disengaged and it moved without control towards Castellbisbal. The incident happened overnight, when train traffic was light, and no one was injured.
The carriage hit a dead-end track in Castellbisbal, which limited the damage. Even so, the R4 had to run on a single track through the morning, causing delays and knock-on disruption for passengers across the line.
The incident came on the same day as another rail problem in Barcelona, when about 100 passengers on a high-speed train from Figueres to Madrid were evacuated after a catenary fault near the Sagrera tunnel. Renfe said the fault temporarily stopped high-speed services between Girona and Barcelona, before services were restored later on Saturday. You can read more on the Renfe website.
The wider Rodalies network is still dealing with major works and repeated service changes. Renfe plans to start tests on the Garraf line this Monday after three months of construction, while the reopening of the Montcada to Parets del Vallès section has been pushed back to 2027. Further disruption is also expected on the R3 line because of works in Torelló. For more local rail coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.
Renfe data also shows punctuality remains weak, with only around 30% of trains arriving on time this year. For Barcelona and nearby towns, that means more uncertainty for daily travel on a network that is still under pressure.
Originally published by La Vanguardia Catalonia. Read original article.
