The trains of the Rodalies R3 line will circulate again between La Garriga and Ripoll starting this Wednesday, provided that the final tests scheduled for the night develop without incidents. This has been confirmed by Rodalies to the user platform 'So They Don't Screw Up Our Train' during a meeting held this Tuesday.
Reopening after a month and a half of closure
The railway section between La Garriga and Ripoll has remained closed for a month and a half due to infrastructure deficiencies detected after the Gelida accident. The reopening will allow service to be restored at 13 stations in the regions of Vallès Oriental, Osona, and Ripollès. In the official Rodalies timetable application, trains are already scheduled on this route starting this Wednesday.
Terms of service and limitations
The Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque, has assured that Renfe and Adif's safety certificates have already been approved and that the reopening of the section is scheduled for the middle of this week, as she had committed to the user platform two weeks ago.
"Experience has taught us that it is good to wait for these last tests to ensure that nothing has to be delayed" - Sílvia Paneque, Councillor of Territory
The planned service will be one train per hour and some delay is expected on the journey due to temporary speed restrictions. The substitute buses that have operated in recent weeks will be maintained as reinforcement until full normality is recovered.
Works and restrictions in other sections
The section between l'Hospitalet and la Garriga will remain closed due to the line doubling works and the works at Montcada Bifurcació station. It is expected that circulation will be re-established from the head of the line to Parets del Vallès starting in May. It will not be possible to travel from Barcelona to Vic without using substitute buses until January 2027.
In the northern end, between Ripoll and Puigcerdà or La Tor de Querol, trains are not expected to run again until the end of April. Adif has brought forward maintenance work in two tunnels of the trans-Pyrenean section, initially scheduled for 2027, which will conclude during the spring.
Reactions and demands of the users
The platform 'Perquè No Ens Fotin el Tren' has recalled that the officials of the Department of Territory of the Generalitat had given up to three different dates for the reopening before getting the one for this week right. Both the platform and the municipalities of the area demanded that the reopening reach Ribes de Freser, something that finally has not occurred.
Situation of other lines
- The R15 line remains closed between Reus and Riba-roja d'Ebre.
- The R8 service between Martorell and Rubí must also be restored.
- The R1 routes between Blanes and Maçanet and the R4 routes between Terrassa and Manresa operate with shuttle trains and complementary buses.