The Rodalies commuter rail network in Catalonia was once again completely suspended on Saturday from around 1pm, as operator RENFE carried out further safety inspections following the heavy rainfall earlier in the week.
The suspension of rail services coincided with severe weather warnings on Saturday in parts of Catalonia.
RENFE had initially announced in the early hours of Saturday that no trains would operate during the day. Later in the morning, the situation reportedly ‘evolved’ and limited services were allowed to resume, albeit with severe disruption. However, by 1pm all activity across the network was halted again, as requested by the regional Catalan government.
The Catalan government posted on X: ‘The Rodalies and regional train services are suspended until full operativity is restored. RENFE will maintain a free service upon resumption until normality is recovered. From the government, we want to guarantee the safety and mobility of the citizens’.
Rodalies posted on X: ‘The Rodalies de Catalunya service is suspended while work is carried out to restore railway circulation with all safety guarantees.’
A crisis meeting involving the various public bodies and companies responsible for the network took place on Saturday night through to 3am on Sunday, during which the Catalan government urged RENFE to provide free travel until a full service could be restored.
During Saturday morning, Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente posted images on X of repair work being carried out to railway sidings in Catalonia (see below) with the following message: ‘The weather devastation of these days has also been very severe. In Rodalies, the service has been seriously affected. Here, ADIF [Spain’s railway infrastructure authority] personnel working all night on the R1.’
The commuter rail system had already been shut down on Wednesday and Thursday following a fatal accident on Tuesday evening in Gelida, when an R4 line train crashed, killing a trainee driver and injuring dozens of passengers. ALSO READ: One dead, 37 injured, as commuter train ploughs into rubble of collapsed wall near Barcelona.
The crash followed last Sunday night’s train tragedy in Adamuz, Andalusia, in which 45 people lost their lives. ALSO READ: Royals visit train crash site and Spain starts three days of mourning.
Early on Friday in Catalonia, services began to be progressively reinstated across all lines. However, a landslide later that afternoon between Maçanet-Massanes and Blanes in Catalonia — which caused no injuries — prompted authorities to reconsider and carry out additional safety checks. ALSO READ: Chaos in Catalonia as rail network suspended for second day, as train drivers insist on more safety guarantees.
On Saturday, safety inspections in areas at risk of landslides meant there was no service between Maçanet-Massanes and Blanes on the R1 line, while only two trains per hour operated along the rest of the route. Shortly before 10am, RENFE also reported that services between L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Mataró had been suspended.
On the R2 line, frequency was reduced to two trains per hour between Estació de França in Barcelona and Sant Vicenç de Calders. At 10.20am, an additional interruption was reported between Castelldefels and Vilanova i la Geltrú.
The R3 line, already affected by major disruption since October, was further curtailed on Saturday, with no rail service operating at all. Replacement bus services were provided between L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Ribes de Freser, although road conditions made replacement transport impossible between Ribes de Freser and Puigcerdà.
The R4 line continued to face difficulties following Tuesday’s fatal crash in Gelida, with only replacement road services operating between Martorell and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, while the remainder of the line ran normally.
The R8 line operated as usual, as did the R11 line, except for the Figueres–Portbou section, which remained closed due to maintenance work.
From 1pm on Saturday, all Rodalies commuter trains were suspended.
Disruptions were also reported across the regional rail network, with no service on several sections, including Sant Vicenç de Calders to Vinaixa (R13), Reus to Vinaixa (R14), Reus to Riba-roja d’Ebre (R15), and Cervera to Terrassa (RL4).
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El destrozo meteorológico de estos días ha sido también muy grande. En Rodalies el servicio se ha visto seriamente afectado. Aquí personal de ADIF trabajando toda la noche en la R1. pic.twitter.com/ySXt2rOrs9
— Óscar Puente (@oscar_puente_) January 24, 2026
⚠️ Queda suspès el servei de Rodalies de Catalunya mentre es treballa per a recuperar la circulació ferroviària amb totes les garanties de seguretat.
➡️ Consulta les alternatives al canal de cada línia.
➕ Més informació: https://t.co/BtCQNeVcgi
— Rodalies Catalunya (@rodalies) January 24, 2026
⚠ S’atura el servei de Rodalies i regionals fins a la plena operativitat.
👉 Renfe mantindrà gratuïtat en la represa del servei fins que es recuperi la normalitat.
✅ Des del Govern volem garantir la seguretat i la mobilitat de la ciutadania. pic.twitter.com/s1kRUfEaPN— Govern de Catalunya (@govern) January 24, 2026
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