Metro delays hit Bucharest and Barcelona as maintenance and cable thefts disrupt services

Commuters in Bucharest and Barcelona faced metro and rail disruptions on Thursday as infrastructure and staffing issues strained services in both cities.
In Bucharest, Metrorex announced increased intervals between trains on its busiest line, Magistrala 2, due to scheduled maintenance on CAF trains, which were temporarily replaced by Bombardier models. The company stated that revisions cannot be rescheduled due to safety and operational standards imposed by manufacturers and authorities. Overcrowding, technical failures, and medical incidents have further extended wait times, with union leader Marian Artimon warning intervals could reach three minutes during peak hours, up from just over one minute .
In Barcelona, Spain’s State Secretary for Transport, José Antonio Santano, confirmed that copper cable thefts on the R3 line had surged to 152 incidents in the first half of 2026—double the same period last year. The Ministry of Transport allocated €17 million to replace 70 kilometers of stolen cable, while infrastructure manager Adif delayed the second phase of a track-doubling project between Parets and La Garriga, now set for completion in early 2027 .
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