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Fire in Granollers halts the R3 and disrupts mobility in Sant Joan
Mobility in Sant Joan was disrupted this Wednesday in Catalunya due to a new incident on Rodalies. The R3 line was suspended for much of the day because of a vegetation fire in the Granollers-Canovelles area, which directly affected the railway infrastructure.
The disruption forced services to be suspended across the entire line, one of the key connections between Barcelona, Vallès Oriental, Osona and Ripollès. The incident came on a public holiday, with many return journeys after the eve celebrations and other leisure trips typical of 24 June.
The fire broke out next to the railway area and affected the train traffic control system. For safety reasons, services were suspended while emergency teams worked in the area and technicians checked the state of the infrastructure.
Renfe redirected travellers to the road replacement service already planned for the R3, with buses between Fabra i Puig and Puigcerdà/La Tor de Querol. Even so, the change meant longer journey times, waits and an especially uncomfortable morning for those who relied on the train.
The line resumed services at around 19:00, once the fire had been extinguished and safety conditions had been checked. The restoration did not prevent many users from experiencing delays and route changes for much of the day.
The incident adds to a particularly difficult week for the R3. The line had already been affected by cable thefts and infrastructure problems, a situation that once again highlights the fragility of a network burdened by works, breakdowns and recurring disruptions.
The Granollers fire was not the only railway problem of the day. Sant Joan also brought incidents on other Rodalies lines and occasional disruptions to high-speed services, turning the public holiday into a difficult day for travelling by train around Catalonia.
For travellers, the episode once again showed a familiar reality: when the R3 stops, the impact goes far beyond one particular station. Entire municipalities along the corridor depend on buses, last-minute alerts and journeys much longer than usual.
The day leaves an uncelebratory picture of Sant Joan on public transport. While beaches and streets returned to normal after the eve celebrations, many Rodalies users had to manage their day amid delays, replacement buses and the feeling that any incident can completely disrupt metropolitan mobility.