Major Rail Disruption After Vandalism in Vinaixa

A copper cable theft at the Vinaixa railway installation has triggered a fire that destroyed vital signalling and safety systems on the Lleida–Tarragona line. The incident has halted train services between Les Borges Blanques and La Plana-Picamoixons since mid-July, affecting Rodalies lines R13 and R14. Renfe has implemented a substitute bus service for passenger trains, while freight services are being rerouted via the Zaragoza–Móra la Nova–Barcelona line.

Severe Damage to Critical Infrastructure

Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, confirmed the theft caused multiple fires and serious damage to essential equipment regulating train movements and safety. The fire destroyed the signalling interlockings at Vinaixa and Canal d’Urgell, with further damage assessed at Riu Milans and Les Borges Blanques. Technical teams are evaluating structural damage, designing repair solutions, and planning the phased restoration of services. Adif stated that due to the scale of the damage, no timeline for full recovery has been established.

The theft of cable from the electrification system and the cutting of fibre optic lines directly caused the fire and system failures.

The incident was first detected at 23:00 on 21 July 2026, when electrical substation disconnections and track circuit faults were reported across the Lleida–La Plana-Picamoixons corridor.

Catalonia Faces Recurring Theft Crisis

Catalonia recorded 152 copper cable thefts from Adif installations in the first half of 2026, down from 184 in 2025 but still accounting for 38% of the 409 thefts reported nationwide. The Vinaixa incident is not isolated, recent thefts have disrupted services at Bellvitge-Gornal, near Sagrera, and on the R3 line.

The impact of these thefts goes far beyond the stolen material, just a few metres of cable can paralyse regional services for weeks.

Similar disruptions have led to speed restrictions and platform delays across Catalonia’s rail network. The recurring nature of the thefts underscores ongoing vulnerabilities in rail infrastructure security.

What Passengers Should Know

  • Lines R13 and R14 remain suspended between Les Borges Blanques and La Plana-Picamoixons.
  • Substitute bus services are operating for affected passenger routes.
  • Repairs are expected to take several weeks, with no fixed date for service restoration.
  • Freight trains are being rerouted via Zaragoza–Móra la Nova–Barcelona.

Passengers are advised to check Adif's official website and Renfe’s service updates for real-time travel information.

Reported by apdnoticies.com, Agencias, diaridetarragona.com, europapress.es, APD Noticies.