More vehicles registered on AP-7 highway towards Tarragona due to Rodalies disruptions

Southern Catalonia is currently experiencing the largest-ever disruption to the Rodalies commuter train network, with a five-month suspension of services due to expansion work on the Roda de Berà tunnel. As a result, more vehicles have been registered on the AP-7 highway traveling from Sant Vicenç de Calders to Tarragona.

Data shared by the Catalan traffic agency and analyzed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN) show a 7% increase in the number of vehicles during morning peak hours.

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.

However, many commuters have sought alternative ways to reach their destinations. On the first two days of the disruption, traffic on the AP-7 highway saw a 7.6% increase on Tuesday, October 1, compared to September 17, between midnight and 11 am. The main peak occurred between 10 am and 11 am, with a smaller increase between 7 am and 9 am. In the afternoon, the peak was between 3 pm and 4 pm, with an overall daily average increase of 4.6%.

On Wednesday, October 2, traffic rose by 7.9% during the first 13 hours of the day, especially between 8 am and 11 am.

In contrast, the number of vehicles heading north from Tarragona to Barcelona remained largely unchanged. Authorities recorded a slight 0.4% increase during the morning, followed by a 0.4% decrease in the overall daily average.

Mediterranean Corridor

The construction work on the Roda de Berà tunnel is part of the Mediterranean Corridor, the rail link along the east coast of Spain.

In order for it to be available, the Iberian gauge railways must be adapted to the standard gauge railways.

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