Neither train nor highway to get home: "I've left Gelida and I'm sleeping in Barcelona until it's fixed."

"Those of us on the bus that left Barcelona at 4:30 p.m. have just arrived in Gelida." The message arrives at 7:00 p.m.—two and a half hours later—in the WhatsApp group that was created years ago for Gelida residents to let each other know the route of the direct bus between Barcelona and Gelida. However, for the last ten days, the messages have completely changed, and the vast majority are tips and tricks to try to prevent a journey that normally takes about 40 minutes from stretching to nearly three hours.

The 'R4 train accident in Gelida that left one victim deadThe event that triggered the unprecedented rail crisis in Catalonia has also left the 7,000 residents of Gelida in a strange limbo: there is no train to leave or return from the town – the R4 line is closed between Sant Sadurní and Martorell, and Gelida is the only stop left in between – and The AP-7 motorway is closed again southbound.Also from Martorell in Sant Sadurní. Adding to the problem is the fact that, since the alternative transport offered by Renfe is also affected by the AP-7 closure, the bus replacing the train has to take secondary roads, turning the ten-minute journey between Martorell and Gelida into half an hour or 40 minutes.

"I work in Barcelona from Tuesday to Friday, and some days I finish at eight in the evening. I usually took Renfe or the bus and was patient, but now it's impossible. I have two children; I can't leave late and not know when I'll get home and then have to go back to Barcelona the next day." Given this situation, she has opted to stay overnight in the Catalan capital until things improve: "I'm separated and I have the children when it's my turn, but now we've had to rearrange our schedules a bit. On the days I leave at eight, their father stays with them and I stay overnight in Barcelona because I have the night."

Marta has also had to change where she sleeps. A lifelong resident of Barcelona, ​​she moved to Gelida just over a year ago, but she still works at a school in Gràcia. "I've left Gelida and I sleep in Barcelona during the week until things get sorted out," she admits. "Last week I already had two days where it took me almost two hours to get home, when normally it takes 40 minutes by car. It didn't matter if I went on the highway, the motorway, or the winding roads," she complains.

But the difficulties of commuting to and from work from Gelida aren't limited to those who travel to Barcelona. Mireia Cartró, who has worked in Sabadell for years, has seen her commute time triple: "Before, I would take the C-58 and then the AP-7 towards Tarragona and be in Gelida in 30 minutes. Now I take the B-40 from Sabadell and exit at Martorell to get on the road, but Martorell is already jammed. Some days it takes me an hour and a half to get home," she complains. She also explains that, although one lane of the highway was open this week, the traffic jam was so long it was as if it were still closed. And those trying to travel south, like Marta Rius, also encounter problems. She works in Vilafranca del Penedès, a 20-minute drive and a short train ride away, but for the past ten days, her commute has been along a winding, single-lane road where cyclists and pedestrians often congregate on the shoulder. "It's not just that it takes me more than twice as long to get to work, it's also dangerous," she warns.

Increased traffic on other roads

The closure of the AP-7 has led to increased traffic on other roads. As reported by ACN, the disruption of traffic on this major artery has caused an 11.6% increase in vehicles on the C-31 South and C-32 South, after the decision was made to lift the toll barriers to avoid congestion. Conversely, traffic fell by 9.1% on the B-23. Generally, the lack of commuter rail service increased traffic on other main roads. Last week, traffic on the C-17 between Barcelona and Vic increased by 10%. Increases were also recorded on the C-58 (3.5%), the C-33 (5.5%), and the A-2 (4.4%).