Commuter train strike: new delays, cancelled trains, and overcrowded buses

BarcelonaAnother day of labor unrest on the commuter trains. Although the majority union called off the protest, the CGT, SF-I and Alferro workers decided to continue the strike and, as a result, Renfe reported early this morning that trains have been cancelled and there have also been some delays and service disruptions. Early this morning, several users have already complained publicly on social media about the lack of convoys.

According to Renfe, the cancelled trains include the high-speed Barcelona-Madrid trains departing at 6:20 and 8:25 a.m., which were scheduled to leave Madrid at 8:00 a.m., and the return trains to Lyon (France). Trains have also been cancelled on the R4 commuter line, towards Manresa, and on the R1 line, towards L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Aside from the problems arising from the labor dispute over the maintenance of working conditions for Renfe drivers during the transfer of commuter rail services, two new breakdowns this Wednesday, this time on the R2 line (both South and North), are making mobility even more complicated at this time of the morning. On the one hand, an incident on the R2 Sud line, which has now been resolved, has meant that trains can only run on a single track on the section between Sitges and Garraf for much of the morning. For this reason, trains are still running about 20 minutes late.

On the other hand, R2 North trains to and from Sant Celoni start and end their journey at Llinars del Vallès station, according to Renfe. The operator has explained that trains may run with "occasional" delays as they approach the affected point.

Another morning of problems comes after yesterday's plenary session, which the Parliament dedicated to the chaos of the commuter train system. During his appearance, The territorial councilor, Silvia Paneque, explained that 24% of the rolling stock that they have inventoried—that is, practically one in four available trains—is not operational. These are calculations, said Paneque, carried out by the Generalitat (Catalan government) together with Renfe.

The lack of material, in fact, is one of the ten "critical points" that the minister herself identified yesterday as key problems in the Catalan railway network, although she expressed that it is an issue that should be resolved with the incorporation of the 110 trains that Renfe has ordered from Alstom and that are expected to arrive.

Change on the bus

As a result of the problems on the railway network, and given the strike notice that regular users are well aware of, Many travelers have decided to change their method of transportation and take the bus. to ensure mobility. This Wednesday, the influx of people was especially noticeable on the lines that cover routes to the Barcelona metropolitan area.

The intercity bus between Ripollet and the Catalan capital is a prime example. It's already quite common for the e4 line to be very crowded, with passengers crowding the aisles so they have to stand. This morning, it was even very difficult to board because there was virtually no space between passengers, and those trying to get on the bus called out to others to squeeze in even more. According to witnesses who spoke to ARA, some passengers yelled at others and asked them to wait for the next bus. At 7 a.m., one of the buses on the line offered this scene: full seats, cramped aisles, and a good number of passengers who had to stand the entire journey.