Barcelona metro L2 to close between La Pau and Gorg for a month

Part of Line 2 (L2) of the Barcelona metro will close for about a month from Monday 2 November while engineers repair cracks in the base of the tunnel. According to La Vanguardia, the line will be split in two between La Pau and Gorg, and the closure will affect about 25,000 people.

What happened

La Vanguardia reports that cracks appeared in the losa, the concrete and mortar slab directly under the tracks, near Artigues-Sant Adrià station. TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, the public company that runs the city’s metro and buses) found them during a routine inspection. This followed the heavy storms in the first week of October, when the river Besòs came close to overflowing.

At first TMB kept the line open and injected cement into the damaged area overnight as a temporary fix. For the past week, trains have had to slow to 15 kilometres per hour on the section between Artigues-Sant Adrià and the next stop towards Badalona, Sant Roc. TMB has now chosen a permanent structural repair to 50 metres of tunnel, and that requires closing the section.

David Prat, director of TMB’s metro network, said the problem was water pressure on the bottom of the tunnel. Part of the lower structure gave way and damaged the slab beneath the tracks. The tunnel was built in the 1980s and lies below the water table. TMB’s chief executive (consejero delegado), Xavier Flores, said more cement could be added at the point where the cracks were found. In his view, though, that would not stop the problem from appearing again a little further along within six months. That is why the company opted for what La Vanguardia calls the conservative option: closing the line and repairing the full 50 metres.

The works will take place roughly under the junction of avinguda Alfons XII and carrer Mariscal Cabanes in Sant Adrià de Besòs, the municipality on Barcelona’s north-eastern edge. Flores said TMB had been monitoring the damage constantly, that it had not got worse, and that it had “at no time posed a safety problem for passengers”. La Vanguardia adds that the track itself has not moved.

What it means for you

If you use L2 in the north-east of the city or travel to and from Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona, here is what the source says you need to know:

• When: the closure starts on Monday 2 November. TMB expects L2 to run normally again on 4 December, provided nothing gets in the way.
• Where: L2 will not run between La Pau and Gorg, so it will operate as two separate sections on either side of the closure.
• Replacement bus: TMB will run a replacement bus between La Pau and Gorg.
• Other options: La Vanguardia suggests the tram, metro lines L9 and L10, and Rodalies (Catalonia’s commuter rail network) as alternatives.
• Crowding: Flores admitted that the slowdown over recent weeks meant fewer trains, longer waits and crowded platforms at some stations, especially at rush hour. Leave extra time, particularly at peak hours.

The source does not say where the replacement bus stops, how often it runs or how fares and transfers will work. Before 2 November, check TMB’s official channels for these details and plan a route that suits your journey, whether that means the bus, the tram, L9/L10 or Rodalies.

What to watch next

The main date to watch is 4 December, when TMB expects to reopen the closed section. La Vanguardia’s report makes clear that this depends on the works going to plan. If you rely on L2, keep an eye on TMB updates in the days before then in case the reopening date changes. Also check for TMB announcements on the replacement bus timetable once the closure begins.

Source: La Vanguardia