Cercanías commuter train users across the country have had enough: "We've reached the limits of our patience."

BarcelonaFailure to adhere to schedules, cancelled trains, breakdowns... Incidents on the Catalan rail service are constant, especially as trains leave Barcelona and head deeper into the country. This Saturday, for example, the service between Altafulla and Sant Vicenç del Calders didn't run during the morning, and there hasn't been a single day in the last three weeks without train problems. For years, commuter and regional train users in Catalonia have complained that the network is deficient and unreliable, and today, despite the rain, nearly a thousand people from all over the country took to the streets simultaneously, to different cities, to say the least.

"We are no less Catalan for living beyond the Barcelona metro," denounced Anna Gómez, spokesperson for the Dignity on the Tracks platform, one of the driving forces behind the nine protests called in coordination to demand a safe, efficient, and punctual network at stations that have some of the most affected sections, such as Calle Cardedeu, Calle La Garriga, and Calle Figueres. "Mobility is deficient, and for those of us who live outside of Barcelona, it's causing problems in basic sectors such as work, education, and housing. This is not a model for the future, it's a condemnation," said Gómez. And, in statements to Rac1, she sent a direct message to the Generalitat: "If anyone in the Government is listening to me, get your act together, because the next mobilization won't be about railways, it will be about mobility."

Organized by Dignity on the Tracks, the Association for the Promotion of Public Transport (PTP), Save the R2 North, So that they don't Foten us on the Train, Dignified Trains Ebro-Priorat, Defend the Empordà Train, and Next Stop, Valls, the action is themed "Readable." "We are fed up with poor service: now is the time to make our voices heard," they argue. In recent weeks, there have been multiple incidents throughout the country, but especially in the southern corridor following the completion of the five-month closure due to works in the Roda de Berà tunnel.

It's no surprise, then, that one of the largest protests was in Tarragona, where an estimated 500 people participated. "We've reached the limits of our patience," said members of the Platform for a Decent Service, who lament the chronic nature of "insecurity, chaos, and delays." "After the construction work, they didn't test whether the service was working properly; they're just now testing it, with passengers on the trains. The first few weeks have been torture," adds Antonio, a regular user.

The protesters—some carried banners calling on Transport Minister Óscar Puente to board a Cercanías train after his latest controversial statements– criticize the "constant delays" of trains and the lack of real investment in railway infrastructure, warning that the demonstrations will turn into mobilizations if there are no imminent improvements. In Tortosa, around 150 people demonstrated, and in Molins de Rei, a hundred more. "Decent trains for everyone means we want punctual trains and an accessible station," said Lluís Carrasco, a member of the PTP. "In Molins de Rei, work budgeted at €6.2 million to theoretically make the station more accessible has been stalled for five years," he denounced.

In Lleida, the Avant Catalunya User Platform joined the protest, and its spokesperson, Kevin Bruque, called for a "fair service with more options," which means enabling more connections and more frequent services so that people can get to work, the doctor, or university at the same time. "It's a necessity, not a luxury. The first-hour Cercanías train is as if it doesn't exist: it takes us more than three hours [to Barcelona] and, even leaving earlier, we arrive late," he complained.

Around seventy people also demonstrated at Figueres station to demand "decent service" and to denounce the fact that, despite the Government's announcements of improvements, "30 years of disinvestment have not been reversed in seven years." Several users stated that they have "thrown in the towel" on public transport and are now opting for private vehicles.

Special plenary session in the Parliament

Government spokesperson Silvia Paneque said this Saturday that she "understands the weariness" of commuter rail users as a result of years of "disinvestment," although she added that work is underway to "improve information" for this year. Recently, the regional minister also called for patience and said that a two-year period is needed for Catalonia to begin to have a "more efficient" network. This, however, came after acknowledging that the current situation is "unacceptable" because the service is "fragile, unreliable, and deficient" and "not up to par" for the Catalan people.

There may be incidents next week, with several days of strikes. The CGT (General Confederation of Workers' Workers) has called off the partial strikes planned for next Monday, March 24th, 28th, and April 3rd, but is maintaining the 24-hour strikes for March 26th and April 1st. In addition, a special plenary session is scheduled to be held in the Parliament from March 25 to 27.

But political reactions have not been long in coming. The secretary general of JxCat, Jordi Turull, has accused Salvador Illa of being incapable of dealing with the railway incidents: "[The Government] is similar to the Cercanías (local trains): it doesn't go, it doesn't show up, it's late and it's bad." And the former president of the Generalitat (Catalan government) Carles Puigdemont has accused Isla of going to Madrid to "reassure the powers of the State" while Catalonia "collapses" with the Cercanías (local trains).

From Tarragona, the general secretary of the ERC (Spanish Nationalist Party), Elisenda Alamany, has demanded a "100% comprehensive transfer to Catalonia" to end the "endemic evil" of the commuter train system, which she described as a "bloody disgrace." She also asked President Salvador Illa to make a choice: "He must choose between the PSOE and Catalonia for the workers and students who don't arrive on time."

Also from Tarragona, Pere Lluís Huguet, PP deputy for Tarragona, has expressed his support for the demonstrations and denounced the fact that the people of Tarragona are "fed up" with "no investment from the Generalitat." And from Molins de Rei, David Cid (Comuns) has demanded that the Government's "only" infrastructure priority be to put the Cercanías (local trains) "at full capacity": "It makes no sense that while Catalonia's trains are tartanas, the Government insists on expanding the airport," he stated. On behalf of the CUP (United Nations) party, Laia Estrada has again called for Paneque's resignation: "His promises are just smoke; he can't ask us for two years of patience."