Catalonia's railway network will add 24 new points with temporary speed restrictions starting next Monday. Girona will have 28 affected sections, three more than the previous week, while across the entire community, there will be 179 locations where drivers will have to reduce speed. The adjustment, included in the Weekly Document of Temporary Speed Restrictions, will affect approximately 130 kilometers of tracks, an increase of about 20 kilometers compared to the current week.
Increase in affected sections in Barcelona, Girona, and Tarragona
Barcelona is the province with the most restricted points, with **86 locations** where circulation will be slower. Tarragona adds 57, Girona reaches 28, and Lleida remains with 8. All Regional and Rodalies lines in Catalonia present limitations, except for the RL3 from Lleida. Line R15 will be the most affected, with **42 sections under limitation**, three more than the previous week. Between Riba-roja d'Ebre and Reus, recently closed to rail traffic, five critical points have been identified
Reasons and distribution of the new limitations
The main reason for the speed reduction is the condition of the track, which accounts for 24% of cases. 13% is due to incidents in the switching mechanisms or sleepers, while 11% is due to the condition of the trenches. On the RL4, three of the four new affected sections are located between Cervera and Manresa, where flood-prone areas with high risk have been detected. On the R4, between l'Arboç and els Monjos, the cause is the presence of a tree near the track.
Renfe's Response and Adif's Management
Passenger trains operating on Adif's infrastructure are run by Renfe. The railway company has stated that its priority is to guarantee safety on all routes.
"The will and the priority is to recover the routes with all safety guarantees" - Spokesperson, Renfe
Renfe has emphasized that it adheres to all temporary speed restrictions imposed by the infrastructure manager.
"If the operator imposes temporary speed limits, we follow them" - Spokesperson, Renfe
The company has also described the situation as extraordinary and has highlighted Adif's work to secure the infrastructure and guarantee the safety of the service.
"The fact that there are so many points responds to an extraordinary situation where Adif does the work to ensure the infrastructure and guarantee the safety of the service" - Spokesperson, Renfe
Weekly Update and Statewide Reach
The Weekly Speed Restriction Document is state-wide and aimed at railway network workers. Adif has increased the number of speed reduction points from 155 to 179 over the past week, after removing four and adding 28 new ones. The company declined to comment on the report, considering it for internal use.
Lines R4 and RG1 will incorporate the most new temporary limitations starting February 2, with six each. Lines R3, R13, and RL4 will add four new limitations each.
- 179 affected sections in total
- 130 kilometers of railway network with slower traffic
- An increase of 24 points compared to the previous week