Record Disruptions from Copper Thefts

Passengers on Catalonia's Rodalies commuter network faced widespread delays and cancellations in 2026 as thefts of copper cable reached record levels. According to Adif, the national rail infrastructure manager, nearly 3,000 trains have been affected so far this year, with 901 hours of cumulative delays, equivalent to 37 full days of lost travel time.

On Wednesday 14 October, a cable cut between Raimat and Almacelles in Lleida disrupted services on the line to Zaragoza, underscoring the ongoing vulnerability of the network.

Summer Surge in Theft

The problem intensified during the summer months. Between July and August 2026, Adif filed 77 theft complaints, 32 in July and 45 in August, averaging more than one incident per day. Since the beginning of 2026, Adif has reported 280 copper thefts, a 52% increase compared to the 184 cases recorded in all of 2025.

From January 2024 to mid-June 2026, Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, identified 602 incidents of theft or forced entry involving railway cables across the region. The majority occurred in the Barcelona metropolitan area, though hotspots have emerged across the network.

Costly Damage and Emergency Repairs

The financial toll is mounting. Adif has already committed €31 million in emergency spending to repair damage caused by the thefts. In September, €17 million was allocated to replace 70 km of stolen cable on the R3 line between Montcada i Reixac and Parets del Vallès.

A second emergency payment of €13.8 million was activated in early October to restore communications systems on the R13 and R14 lines, which have been partially suspended since June. Two thefts, one on 22 June between L'Espluga de Francolí and Montblanc, caused fires that destroyed critical signalling infrastructure, forcing passengers to use replacement buses.

Police Crackdown and Prevention Plan

As part of a joint initiative called Pla Via, Adif and Mossos d'Esquadra are intensifying patrols and installing surveillance cameras in known high-risk zones, including Granollers-Canovelles, Vilajuïga–Peralada, Puigvert de Lleida, and Roda de Berà.

On 11 October, two men were caught removing 134 kg of copper from the tracks in the Garrigues region and selling it minutes later at a scrapyard. They were arrested in flagrante delicto.

“Thefts of copper are now the primary cause of delays on Rodalies, surpassing even technical failures,”

said Òscar Playà, General Director of Rodalies, on Friday 9 October, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Call for Stricter Penalties

Adif is urging changes to Article 240 of the Spanish Penal Code to classify railway infrastructure as critical, on par with hospitals and airports. This reclassification would increase criminal penalties for thefts targeting transport networks and address repeated offences, such as six thefts at Barcelona’s Estació de França within ten days.

Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat. Reported by catalunyapress.es, elperiodico.com, lavanguardia.com, elperiodico.cat, elcaso.elnacional.cat, CatalunyaPress.cat.