Rodalies works in Roda de Berà 'on schedule' with March deadline

Construction on the Rodalies commuter train network continues in a tunnel in Roda de Berà, near Tarragona in southern Catalonia. The six-month disruption, which began on October 1, remains on track to conclude in early March, with work proceeding "on schedule."

During a visit to the construction site, Catalan territory minister Sílvia Paneque said that "works are going as planned." While regular service is expected to resume in March, she cautioned that there might still be occasional disruptions until June.

Disruption "forces commuters to travel for longer, steals their life and family time," Paneque said, recognizing being "aware" of the situation, so she thanked travelers' "patience."

Works on the Roda de Berà tunnel are part of the major disruption that will adapt the Iberian gauge railways to the standard gauge railways.

The Spanish transport minister expects the corridor to be operational by 2027, connecting Andalusia and Barcelona to Europe.

For passengers traveling from Barcelona, the train service now requires them to disembark at Sant Vicenç de Calders and transfer to buses, as there is no service between that station and Tarragona. Nearly 90 buses offer over 600 daily trips, providing 30,500 seats.

Currently, workers are expanding the railway gauge, with plans to install a significant cement slab on the floor to accommodate the tracks in the coming weeks.

In addition to the Roda de Berà tunnel, other ongoing rail projects are underway near Tarragona, Altafulla, Torredembarra, and Sant Vicenç de Calders.