Severe winds from Storm Nils have caused major transport disruption across Barcelona and its metropolitan area this morning. Consequently, essential services and infrastructure are struggling to cope with the adverse conditions. From the port to the skies, the city’s transport network faces significant challenges.
Storm Nils Barcelona: Metro Ridership Plummets
The impact of Storm Nils Barcelona is perhaps most visible underground. According to data released by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the metro system has seen a dramatic decrease in passenger numbers. Compared to the same time last Thursday (09:00), ridership has fallen by nearly half—specifically a 44% drop.
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While the metro continues to run, the sharp decline suggests many residents have chosen to stay at home. This follows warnings issued by the VENTCAT civil protection plan.
Storm Nils Barcelona: High-Speed Rail and Air Travel Halted
Inter-city connections have been severely hit. The high-speed rail service (AVE) between Barcelona and Madrid was suspended shortly before 12:00 noon. The disruption, affecting the line between Camp de Tarragona and Barcelona Sants, was caused by plastics and debris blown onto the catenary between L’Arboç and Vilafranca del Penedès.
Maintenance teams have been mobilised to clear the tracks. However, delays are significant.
The situation at Barcelona-El Prat Airport is equally difficult. Throughout the morning, 79 flights were cancelled and a further nine diverted. Airport authorities confirmed that operations on both runways resumed after 11:00. Nevertheless, the backlog is likely to cause continued disruption.
Storm Nils Barcelona: Port and Surface Transport Struggles
The Port of Barcelona has halted operations at its container terminal due to safety concerns. While the port remains technically open, access is restricted. Maritime operations are being assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on the vessel type. Activity at the container terminal will not resume until conditions are deemed safe.
On the roads, fallen trees have forced diversions on several TMB bus routes. Affected lines include:
- X3 (Stopped at Carrer de la Botànica)
- 24, D50, H10, 19, 33, and 34
Meanwhile, the Rodalies commuter rail network is running trains at reduced speeds. Significant delays of over 40 minutes were reported on the line between Barcelona Sants and Maçanet-Massanes by 13:00. This potentially contributed to a recent surge in Metro usage as commuters abandoned the troubled Rodalies network.
Therefore, authorities have urged maximum caution while the VENTCAT alert remains active.
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