Empty trains and delays on the first day of commuter rail service after the chaos

BarcelonaThe trains are back on the tracks. They've returned with delays and altered schedules, but this Friday, after a chaotic week on the rail network, the commuter rail service began to resume normal operations. However, passengers haven't followed suit. This morning, the main Catalan stations were emptier than usual. Many passengers preferred to end the week by finding an alternative to the train to ensure their journey or opted to work from home. In any case, the train drivers did return to work today after yesterday's standoff to ensure the tracks were in good condition. On Thursday, only six drivers showed up, and the unions demanded a new track inspection before returning to the cabs. After a long meeting and a negotiated agreement, the government, Adif (Spain's railway infrastructure manager), Renfe (Spain's national railway company), and the train drivers agreed to new exploratory runs, which took place throughout the afternoon and evening.

This morning, meetings continued to assess both the condition of the tracks and the resumption of service. "We must work with the same level of attention as these past few days to build confidence," summarized the Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, at 9:00 a.m., in her first appearance after the meeting. Paneque stated that she was "surprised" that only six train drivers were scheduled to work yesterday and assured that "the investigation into Renfe will continue."

"Minor incidents" and investigation underway

The councilor explained that during the night, "minor incidents were detected, which have already been resolved and will continue to be resolved in the coming hours." She also reiterated that this working methodology, which was the condition sine qua non The rotation of train drivers back to work will continue every two months, as agreed yesterday for the future. "We must remain vigilant; we cannot let our guard down," she said, assuring that the necessary financial and human resources will be allocated. Paneque also explained that the increased service on intercity bus lines will continue until Wednesday with approximately sixty more buses than usual. The suspension of the low-emission zone will also remain in effect until Wednesday. Furthermore, the lifting of the toll on the C-32 will continue until the problems on the AP-7 are resolved. "It's a significant financial effort for the department, but we believe it's absolutely necessary," the minister asserted. Regarding the investigation that the Department of Territory opened yesterday with Renfe concerning the service suspension, the minister explained that "it will proceed as planned." Paneque stated that the Catalan government ordered Renfe to resume service on Wednesday because they had "a safety certificate from Adif" (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager). "So we, as the service provider, asked the operator to restart the service," she explained. The following morning, before the service was scheduled to begin, Renfe reported a shortage of train drivers, and "it was at that moment" that the Department of Territory decided to open an investigation. "The Catalan government has done what it had to do," the minister concluded. Shortly before Paneque's appearance, from Sants station, Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, also commented on the resumption of service: "We are working to regain the trust of all users," said Carmona, who explained that they had worked throughout the night to "return to normal" and operate "as usual and as planned." Regarding the low passenger volume at stations today, the operator's spokesperson explained that the impact of teleworking is usually more noticeable on Fridays, and stated that they don't yet have data: "The first hour hasn't finished yet; we'll assess it later." Carmona also confirmed that the delays and altered service frequencies are related to the exploratory runs and inspections carried out overnight. He detailed that some problems were detected during the night and are being resolved so that the remaining tracks can be opened and train frequency increased. Carmona explained that work is currently underway on the R1 and R4 lines in Castellbisbal.