Guide to surviving Rodalies

BarcelonaAside from large doses of anger, frustration, and resignation, the repeated disruptions to the commuter rail service in Catalonia have also led many users to develop strategies for surviving the experience of taking the train every day to and from work. Below, we've compiled some of the most notable:

• The most reliable app. The Adif app is a staple on the phones of even the most seasoned commuters. It's black, free, and—most importantly—the only app that reliably shows you the real-time status of your line, including delays and disruptions. You can even see if the train is between stops via a little ball that moves toward your station. In short, if you need to travel by Cercanías (commuter rail), avoid apps. Like Cercanías, Renfe, Google Maps and similar apps: the most reliable option for getting around is the Adif appIt is also useful Transporta, a user-created application and it provides real-time data, something that the official Cercanías app does not do, where the "Real Time" section shows theoretical but not actual schedules.
• Which screen do I trust? One of the most common problems Renfe passengers face is the lack of coordination between train and station timetables. For starters, it's common for the timetable on the official website to differ from the one displayed on the station's main screen, and for this screen to also conflict with the information projected on the platform or inside the train. Furthermore, at stations with frequent trains, it's possible for one train to arrive while the screen shows a different one, or for announcements over the public address system to be misleading. In these cases, the best way to find the correct timetable and avoid boarding the wrong train is to use the app. from Adif and, to be absolutely sure, look at the illuminated sign in front of each train which (in principle) indicates the correct destination.
• Have X at hand. Another fairly widespread habit among veteran passengers is to search for the word Surroundings or the name of your train line on X (formerly Twitter). Many users report delays or complain about problems through this social network, giving you an idea of ​​the service situation. When you've given up all hope of finding your train, X can also be used to contact Cercanías (the commuter rail service) directly. You can do this by writing a post. Send your detailed information to the user @rodalies. They often reply. Ultimately, you can also find the official Cercanías channels on X: they exist. a generic one (@rodalies) and one for each line. However, here you will only find the biggest service problems, and the information is often inaccurate and doesn't mention minor delays or incidents.
• WhatsApp channels. Like the user @rodalies de X, the official Cercanías WhatsApp channel only reports major incidents and not the numerous problems and breakdowns that plague the service daily. However, there are private WhatsApp groups that are very useful. This is the case with the R2 users' group, where—among other things—passengers boarding the train at the first stations on the line report whether it has departed, if it was on time, and whether the train is long or short (a useful detail for passengers waiting at stations with longer platforms, thus avoiding rush hour situations).
• The ticket, on the mobile phone. To avoid queuing at the ticket machine or encountering technical problems when buying a ticket, more and more passengers are using their travel pass on their mobile phones. If you only travel by train, you can buy it with the Renfe app (it's a QR code), and if you're using the T-Mobilitat card, you can buy it with... the application of T-Mobility.
• If you combine train and bus. Many users not only use the Cercanías commuter rail but also connect a bus with the train, or vice versa. In these cases, it's most useful to follow all of this. kit Tips for surviving commuter rail, and also having the website or app of the company that manages the bus you need to take handy. For example, MoventisThis company's website even offers the option to track your bus in real time. Again, resources like Google Maps prove ineffective.
• One last note for people with reduced mobility. If the elevator or escalators at your station are out of order, contact the station staff so that Renfe, in these cases, can provide you with a solution to reach your destination.
• Always carry a book (or a diary!) in your bag. The journey may take longer than expected, and there are still stops where even 3G doesn't reach.

If you're also a regular commuter rail user and want to share your survival tips, let us know in the comments!

[We are republishing this article, originally published in April 2025, to help readers suffering from the commuter rail chaos]