The Catalan government has formally requested that Adif, Spain's railway infrastructure manager, postpone the dismantling of the current Rodalies railway branch to Terminal 2 (T2) of Barcelona-El Prat Airport. This request, made in El Prat de Llobregat, aims to keep the line operational to assist R11 train services until a new technical station at El Prat is completed, according to a parliamentary response from Territory Minister Sílvia Paneque.
Works on the new railway access to the airport, a project costing over €400 million, are nearing completion. This new infrastructure includes a tunnel under the runways, designed to connect central Barcelona with both airport terminals in just over 20 minutes. However, the environmental impact statement for the new access requires the existing T2 access tracks to be removed. Adif began the process to dismantle these tracks in December, by making the construction project public.
R11 Train Operations at Risk
The Generalitat's desire to maintain the current branch stems from a lack of alternative sidings for R11 trains. Without the planned technical station, R11 trains completing their routes at Sants are forced to travel to dead-end tracks in Bellvitge or Gavà. This practice further congests the already busy Garraf Rodalies corridor, according to Paneque. The government proposes using the current airport access as a fixed siding for R11 trains until the new technical station, which will provide sufficient tracks for trains to wait, is built.
Paneque's document, accessed by El Periódico, states: "The Government of the Generalitat has asked Adif to delay the execution of the dismantling of the access branch to the Airport's T2 so that it can be used to facilitate the operation of the R11 while the El Prat technical station is not operational."
Stalled Project for Technical Station
The construction of the El Prat de Llobregat technical station faces significant delays. The Public Transport Promotion (PTP) association reports that this station is one of 11 projects stalled at the Ministry of Transport. The PTP states that the Informative Study, the initial administrative step for any railway infrastructure work, should have been definitively approved in November 2023. This means the project is now almost two and a half years behind schedule.
The parliamentary response indicates that the project is currently "in the phase of resolving allegations presented by administrations and private entities." Transport Minister Óscar Puente recently pledged to unblock four of the 11 stalled projects, though he did not specify which ones. Even after the Informative Study is approved, Adif will still need to commission a Construction Project and then carry out the works. This means the technical station is still years away from completion.
Future Plans for El Prat
The Ministry of Transport's Informative Study for the technical station proposes an ambitious remodelling. This plan includes two sections, each with six tracks, providing ample space for R11 trains to park and allowing for more trains if needed in the future. The ministry estimates this work will cost €51,267,010.83, according to the Informative Study.
Paneque's parliamentary response also noted that the Generalitat, through its public company Ifercat, is preparing an integral study on future interventions in the Llobregat delta. This document, commissioned from multinational firm TyLin, will analyse the feasibility of reviving the 'Metro del Delta' project, a proposed new underground line between Sant Boi and Castelldefels.
