Chaos returns to the commuter rail system: service is not guaranteed this Saturday

BarcelonaThe commuter rail service is once again uncertain this weekend. At this time, normal rail service is not guaranteed for Saturday, nor is an alternative bus service. Since Friday night, train service has been experiencing problems on all lines after a day marked by another partial shutdown of the R1 line due to a new landslide onto the tracks between Tordera and Maçanet. The incident—which occurred at a point not identified in the surveys carried out this week—has reopened the crisis with train drivers, who claim they cannot work safely, less than 24 hours after rail service was restored. After midnight, representatives from the Catalan Government, Renfe (the national railway company), and Adif (the railway infrastructure manager) met at the Department of Territory to monitor the rail situation, and, according to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), several risk points on the network have been identified requiring urgent action. The meeting was already scheduled for 7 p.m., before tonight's strikes, but it has been postponed twice and resumed without any announcement being made so far, with further meetings expected throughout the weekend. Government sources assure that a service shutdown like Wednesday's has not been considered, but they also cannot guarantee how service will be provided this Saturday and anticipate "disruptions," without specifying their extent. Since Friday night, some lines have experienced delays exceeding half an hour. The same sources attribute the problems affecting the commuter rail network to the intense and continuous rain of recent days. The Department of Territory has already announced that it will hold further follow-up meetings this Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Shortly before Friday's follow-up meeting at the Department of Territory began, Semaf issued a statement deeming the landslide on the R1 line "intolerable." The union is demanding "urgent measures" and says that Renfe is considering suspending service at points on all lines where potential landslide risks have been identified. For now, the scope of such a measure is unknown, as the number of affected points has not been specified. According to the train drivers, Adif geotechnical engineers are reassessing the state of the network and "carefully" reviewing operating conditions.

Landslide on the R1 line

The landslide that halted the R1 line between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes—which is currently out of service in both directions due to its single track—occurred around 4:00 PM and sparked a spontaneous protest by approximately fifty train drivers at Sants station. They questioned the safety of the infrastructure despite inspections carried out by the Semaf union, which is the majority union within the group, in order to restart service. The union expressed its discontent with the landslide, which occurred after inspections and trial runs had been conducted on all commuter rail lines in recent hours. On this occasion, the driver was able to stop the train without any collision.

A few hours before the fatal accident on the R4 line in Gelida, where a 28-year-old trainee driver lost his life when a retaining wall collapsed, a train on the R1 line, between Maçanet Massanes and Tordera, derailed after an axle came loose and struck a rock. There were no injuries, but Friday's derailment, the second incident on the same track in a week, was the final straw for train drivers.

"We are very afraid; many colleagues are requesting sick leave. Who can go to work like this? It's unacceptable. We are afraid, we feel unsafe," Elisabet Ramos, one of the protesting train drivers, told ACN. The CGT representative also lamented that yesterday, "certificates were guaranteed and everything was in order" for the workers and the thousands of passengers who take the commuter trains, but the next day they were close to "receiving news of a missing colleague." "This can't be," she said. "They tell us one thing and then they don't follow through."

Users trying their luck

Trains returned to the tracks this Friday after a chaotic week on the rail network, but from the start of service, delays and altered frequencies were a problem. This morning, the main Catalan stations were emptier than usual. Many passengers opted to end the week by finding an alternative to the train to ensure their journey or chose to work from home. This was the case for Judith, whom we spoke to at Fabra i Puig station. She lives in Sabadell and hadn't gone to Barcelona for work for two days: "Luckily, my job understood and let me work from home." She explained that this morning she "wasn't sure I'd be able to get there," but left early to "try my luck." According to her, the line's delays made her arrive later than expected. In any case, the train drivers did return to work today. On Thursday, only six drivers showed up for work, and the unions demanded a new track inspection before returning to the cabs. After a lengthy meeting and a negotiated agreement, the Government, Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager), Renfe (the Spanish national railway company), and the train drivers agreed to new exploratory runs, which took place throughout the afternoon and evening. Throughout the day, 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 drivers went to work yesterday and assured that "the investigation into Renfe will continue." "Minor incidents" and ongoing investigation

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 training of train drivers to return 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, and assured that the necessary financial and human resources will be allocated to make this possible. Paneque also explained that the reinforcements 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 is a significant financial effort for the department, but we believe it is absolutely necessary," the minister asserted. Regarding the investigation that the Department of Territory opened against Renfe for 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.