Service on R2 commuter train back to normal by May 21, says reproached minister

Service on the R2 commuter train line will be back to normal on May 21 "by the latest," Spanish transport minister Raquel Sánchez said in an interview with Ser radio on Friday morning.

Sánchez was reproached the day prior by Congress for the disruptions to the line that began over a week ago after a fire broke out in a train signal box in the coastal town of Gavà, south of Barcelona.

According to her, "extraordinary efforts" are being carried out "from day one" to resolve the issue.

The Socialist politician also took the opportunity to criticize Esquerra, the governing party in Catalonia, for supporting the motion filed by the conservative People's Party against her.

"I think it's offensive to the Catalans who suffered a lack of investment for a decade," Sánchez said, referring to the time the People's Party was in power. 

"What does not make any sense if for this government, which is the one that has been investing the most in Catalonia and in Catalan rail infrastructure, to be reproached," she added.

R2 South to recover four trains an hour

From Monday, the R2 South train line users between the southern seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Barcelona will see a fourth train in the hour during peak hours. While works to resolve the issue continue, there will be a new extraordinary bus line between Sitges and Barcelona between 6 am and 8:30 am and from the Catalan capital to Sitges from 5 pm to 7 pm.

This is in addition to the already existing bus alternative routes connecting Gavà, Castelldefels, and Sant Vicenç de Calders with Barcelona. 

R2 South line breakdown

A train signal box fire at the Adif railway infrastructure management facilities in Gavà, a coastal town not far south of Barcelona, at the beginning of May continues to cause disruptions.

Officials from Spain's transport ministry said the incident is "serious" and that normal service will not return to the R2 South line for "three or four weeks."

Xavier Flores, secretary general of infrastructure in the ministry of transport, told reporters in Barcelona that it is "one of the worst incidents you can have: it leaves you blind in terms of train control and safety."

Commuters have criticized the service for regular disruption to services, and the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, blamed a lack of investment from Spain spanning "decades" for the consistent problems seen in the train network.

In response, Raquel Sánchez had defended that the Spanish government is "investing like never before" in the Rodalies network, and admitted that the system had previously been underfunded in past administrations. 

Alternative shuttle buses are in operation connecting the Catalan capital with the town of Sant Vicenç de Calders, near Tarragona. 

From Monday to Friday during rush hour there will be buses every half an hour from Sant Vicenç de Calders from 6 am to 9 am, while in the evening they will be leaving Barcelona from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.