The situation has become unbearable for residents like Tere Estruch and Alejandro Narcís, who live just meters from the railway bypass. They report that high-speed train passages cause daily tremors, which they describe as 'mini-earthquakes,' affecting the structure of their homes.
“"Every time a train passes, the whole house shakes; it's like living with mini-earthquakes every day, and there are cracks everywhere."
This issue affects a minimum of 42 houses located in the areas of Rufea, Empresseguera, Torres de Sanui, La Mariola, Vallcalent, Vinatesa, and Artesa de Lleida. An expert study commissioned by the residents themselves, presented last Monday, confirms the correlation between the cracks and the vibrations generated by the trains. The report quantifies the damages at 879,664.62 euros, an amount the affected parties want Adif to cover.
The first cracks began to appear between 2022 and 2023, coinciding with the entry of new operators into the railway corridor. This led to a significant increase in traffic, from 30 daily trains to over 60, as Estruch recalls. The cracks have spread throughout the houses, including bathrooms, bedrooms, interior and exterior walls, and perimeter fences.
“"We just want solutions, for them to fix the damages we have and apply the regulations, because no matter how many repairs we make, if no measures are taken, the cracks will reappear."
Although trains have been traveling at a lower speed for a few months, residents are unsure if this measure is permanent or an initiative by the train drivers. The affected parties, represented by their lawyer Josep Maria Peiró, will initiate legal proceedings to request a declaration of responsibility from Adif and demand they cover the repair costs. It is worth noting that in 2024, Adif already confirmed that vibrations exceeded legal limits at some points and implemented measures to mitigate their impact.
