Adif declares sinkhole in Vallbona filled and stabilized after emergency operation

Emergency crews have successfully filled a massive sinkhole that opened during the Montcada tunnel construction in Vallbona, Barcelona. The operation required 320 truckloads of concrete and mortar, totaling 365 cubic meters of concrete and 1,930 cubic meters of mortar, to fill the 17-meter deep, 19-meter wide cavity.

During the 72-hour filling process, a large crane valued at over half a million euros, along with other construction equipment, was permanently encased in the material. The Spanish railway infrastructure administrator, Adif, declared the sinkhole "covered and stabilized" after monitoring showed no ground movement in the surrounding areas or on the railway platform.

With the emergency work complete, Adif has handed the tracks back to Rodalies for safety testing. The aim is to restore service on the R2 and R11 lines by Monday morning. However, the regional government, Catalonia's Generalitat, has remained notably silent on the crisis.

Travelers on the R2 line will continue to face disruptions this weekend, requiring a transfer on foot between Montcada i Reixac stations. R11 regional line users must use bus services between Granollers and Barcelona. This is compounded by other ongoing issues, including a suspension of the R3 line across its entire route and delays on the R13 and R14 lines due to cable theft, which will take weeks to repair.