Barcelona was at the centre of a major Rodalies disruption on Tuesday, after a computer failure at Adif’s control centre in the city temporarily halted train services across Catalonia.
The first stoppage began at about 12.30pm and lasted around 20 minutes. A second incident followed at about 3.30pm, lasting just over 10 minutes. During both interruptions, trains were stopped at the nearest station, and services were then restored gradually.
Adif said the problem was an IT failure, similar to one reported in January. The system is used to regulate rail traffic for safety reasons, and the disruption led to delays across the network for the rest of the afternoon.
Sílvia Paneque, Catalan Minister for Territory and government spokesperson, said she learned of the incident during a press conference after Tuesday’s Executive Council meeting. She said the problems were linked to a new traffic control system being introduced at a unified operations centre shared by Adif and Renfe. More Catalonia news
Paneque said the company was gradually resolving the issue and that a quick recovery would be preferable, although the phased return to service would leave delays behind. Adif sources said the backup system activated more quickly this time than in January, which reduced the time trains were out of service.
Some trains were able to continue their journeys once the alternative system was in place, and passengers at Sants station were reportedly unaware of the disruption. Government sources also noted that the recovery coincided with the Pope’s landing at El Prat airport.
Paneque said the new system, once fully implemented, should provide a safer railway network. The integration of Adif and Renfe control systems is intended to improve efficiency and safety, although Tuesday’s disruption again showed the strain of the transition.
