A railway chaos that is difficult to justify
Since a train crashed into a collapsed wall on the AP-7 motorway near Gelida at 9:00 PM on Tuesday, in an accident that injured 37 people and killed a train driver, Catalonia has been plunged into railway chaos. The recent tragedy in Córdoba had heightened emotions, but what has happened since Tuesday is very difficult to justify. Catalonia cannot endure so many days with the entire commuter rail network blocked and the country's main highway, the AP-7, closed southbound.
The constant changes in direction since Tuesday have been the most visible aspect of this chaos. Initially, all commuter rail service was suspended on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, the Catalan government received a certificate from Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager) stating that the tracks were sound, and that evening announced that service would resume the following day. But this did not happen: no trains ran on Thursday. The train drivers didn't go to work, demanding another line-by-line inspection so they could participate. That evening, Regional Minister Albert Dalmau announced that service would resume the following day. And so it did: trains started running again on Friday, but not everywhere, as some problems had been detected. The public was also wary, and many trains ran empty. They were right not to trust the service: that afternoon, a landslide on the R1 line alarmed the drivers once more. On Friday night, the Government and Renfe met to decide what to do, and by 3:00 a.m., the Government announced its "inability to operate regular service." Surprisingly, however, some trains were running again on Saturday morning. Only two lines were operating normally: both R2 lines. Finally, this Saturday at midday, after another landslide on the R4 line, the Government agreed with Renfe to suspend all train service until safety could be guaranteed.
This barrage of announcements, counter-announcements, suspensions, and lines that are only partially operational—one minute working, the next not—has only served to further confuse citizens, perplexed and weary of years of breakdowns, delays, and excuses from Renfe. It also clearly demonstrates the lack of coordination between the government, Cercanías (the commuter rail service), Renfe, and Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager). Adding to this the AP-7 highway, which was blocked southbound until Saturday—when one lane was reopened, only to be blocked again for a few hours by an accident—the situation can only be described as unsustainable. But this situation didn't arise out of nowhere: the rail network suffers from decades of accumulated underinvestment, lack of maintenance, systematic outsourcing of repair teams, and, according to experts, is not adequately prepared for climate change, which is not just a future hypothesis, but a reality.
The railway network is essential for the functioning of the country; it cannot be neglected, nor is it enough to just keep things running: it is essential that it works, and that it works well. And for this to happen, the Government must take the reins and not only do its job well and in coordination with all stakeholders, but also make up for what the Spanish government has failed to do for decades.
