Paneque asserts that the commuter rail network is in a "completely deplorable" state.

The government is raising its voice. The Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, explained that "for the first time" the entire commuter rail network is undergoing a comprehensive review and declared that the state of the infrastructure they found is "fragile" and "utterly deplorable." She expressed this during an appearance before the Catalan Parliament on Thursday, where she also announced that commuter rail will remain free "until the system is fully restored," thus eliminating the one-month deadline initially set. Paneque also took the opportunity to boast about her handling of the rail crisis in Catalonia, triggered by the Gelida accident, where a young trainee train driver lost his life after a retaining wall collapsed under the R4 train he was traveling on, on January 20th. The regional minister has assured that the Catalan government "has prioritized safety at all times," and has also reiterated the demands for dismissals at both Renfe and Adif, as well as the pressure on the national ministry to accelerate investments. The regional ministry's summary of the state of the tracks comes a few hours after minimum services were established in Catalonia due to the train drivers' strike, which is still ongoing throughout Spain. Workers in the sector intend to hold a 24-hour general strike for three consecutive days, February 9, 10, and 11. As has happened in other strikes, in Catalonia, train drivers will have to guarantee at least 66% of trains during peak hours and 33% of service during off-peak hours. 648 inspections and 30 critical points

All this while there are still a dozen lines with several sections closed where Adif staff are still carrying out inspections considered "urgent." The Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano—who has moved to Catalonia to closely monitor the rail crisis—announced on Wednesday that the State will create a specific unit in Catalonia to reinforce the "preventive maintenance" of the Catalan rail system and "anticipate" possible incidents. For its part, the Catalan government (Generalitat) detailed that the infrastructure manager, Adif, has already identified a total of 648 vulnerable points on the network that require inspections, primarily in cuttings, embankments, tunnels, bridges, platforms, and tracks, and that action is needed on 31 sections. What has not been specified is exactly which points these are. According to Paneque, the disruptions are not "isolated incidents or concentrated on a single line," but rather affect "virtually the entire network," with a particular impact on the R1, R3, and R4 lines. "We are not just facing a crisis, but a structural problem," he stated. All these incidents, largely reported by train drivers, are causing, among other things, Adif to limit speeds at many points on the network to ensure safety. These reductions, which affect more than 100 kilometers in total, are also causing serious timetable problems, as trains are slowing down and journeys are taking longer. Sections are closed and services are being provided by road.

This Thursday, the commuter rail service resumed, but under the shadow of this new abnormal situation. Once again, trains started early in the morning operating at reduced capacity, with more than a dozen service disruptions and alternative bus services. Speed ​​restrictions also remain in place.

Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, appeared again at Sants station early this morning and assured that Renfe, Adif, the Government, and the Ministry are firmly committed to "turning things around." "We are working tirelessly to reverse this situation: we have the capacity and the will to make the effort to do so," he affirmed. At midday, the Department of Territory also explained that this Thursday the R1 line will gradually resume service between Maçanet and Blanes, and that the R4 line will have hourly trains again between Terrassa and Manresa. The Minister detailed that the Maresme line will run every 90 minutes, while the R4 service will be provided by shuttle trains. "The work of the last few days is beginning to bear fruit," celebrated Paneque, who estimated that 1,300 people will benefit on the R1 and 4,600 on the R4.

Impact of the alternative plan

According to data shared by the Minister in Parliament, the additional bus fleet has cost 4.1 million euros, while the removal of the barrier on the C-32 highway has an impact of 600,000 euros per day. "We are working on the economic impact so we can submit it to the Ministry," she admitted. Paneque defended her handling of the rail crisis before the parliamentary groups: "I may have made mistakes on several issues," she acknowledged, but added that she has always been "on the front lines" and would not change the criteria that have guided her actions. According to the Minister, the suspension of rail service was a "difficult but necessary" decision, and subsequent events—up to three landslides in a single week—confirmed the need to raise the standards of track safety certifications. Criticisms from the parliamentary groups

The parliamentary groups maintained a reproachful tone throughout the session. Junts per Catalunya reiterated its call for Paneque's resignation, accusing him of "a lack of self-criticism" and of making "contradictory announcements." ERC, for its part, lamented that the underfunding was "sustained and deliberate," and asserted that the lack of maintenance caused the Gelida accident. The Comuns complained that the government has focused on other infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of El Prat airport, and the CUP denounced the "insufficient" investment in rail service and Renfe's "inability to self-manage." Aliança Catalana stated that the FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya) is functioning "wonderfully," urging the Catalan government to implement the "complete" transfer of commuter and regional rail services to the Generalitat.

For its part, the PPC has denounced the commuter rail network as "completely collapsed" and stated that a safety audit of both the tracks and roads is "urgent." Vox, in turn, also called for the dismissal of Paneque and the Catalan government's commissioner for the transfer of commuter rail services, Pere Macias, as well as the presidents of Renfe and Adif.