Around eighty residents were evacuated early this morning from three buildings in the Trinitat Vella neighborhood of Barcelona after several residents noticed the buildings were moving. The alert was received around 3:30 AM, and the Barcelona Firefighters carried out the precautionary evacuation. Residents were able to return to their homes an hour and a half later, once it was confirmed there was no structural risk.
The vibrations occurred on Pare Pérez del Pulgar street, very close to the works that Adif is carrying out at the Aigües junction. This is a key point where the tracks of the R2, R2 Nord, and R11 lines separate from a branch towards Montcada-Bifurcació, as part of the track-sinking project in Montcada. A 'flyover' is to be built at this location.
Sources from Adif have reported that all work in the area has been halted as a precaution and to assess the situation. The railway company is analyzing how to resume the works and assures that measures are being taken to minimize inconvenience to residents. According to municipal sources, a compacting machine was operating at the time of the incident, used to stabilize the ground beneath the tracks.
The incident occurs just over 500 meters from the spot where, two weeks ago, a large sinkhole swallowed a crane and forced the closure of lines R2, R2Nord, and R11 for three days. Adif also indicates that work on the rest of the projects in Vallbona continues normally.
From the point where the vibrations were detected, improvements are also planned for the High-Speed tunnel to manage groundwater and prevent the walls of the underpass from acting as a barrier. Adif plans to install 24 wells and 12 siphons from the end of the railway tunnel at the Trinitat junction.
