Commuter trains return to normal, with problems on the R3 and delays

BarcelonaThe commuter train system is still experiencing some problems stemming from the massive blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula on Monday. However, almost 48 hours after the power failure, trains were able to resume service with relative normality this Wednesday morning. Trains began running on their usual schedule this Wednesday, but with limitations and some trains cancelled.

The main problem was on a significant section of the R3 line. In the morning, service resumed as on the other lines, but with the section between Ripoll and Puigcerdà still being covered by road, as was the case yesterday. A couple of hours later, at around 8:00 a.m., an infrastructure incident further complicated traffic on this line that crosses Catalonia to the north, and the journey between Vic and Ripoll was interrupted for almost an hour until Adif resolved the problem.

Renfe has also reported that trains on the R4 line are running with delays that could exceed 20 minutes due to an incident at the facilities between L'Arboç and Els Monjos. Technicians from the infrastructure management company have continued working on this repair since early morning.

At midday, trains on lines R2, R14, R15, R16, R17, and RT2 have accumulated significant delays of up to 45 minutes on average due to rail congestion at França station. Renfe sources have reported that many trains have accumulated at this facility and that there are traffic jams trying to get onto the main line. They indicated that trains may remain stopped and their journey times may increase due to this incident.

The rest of the service, according to Renfe, is operating "normally." However, the operator warns that there are still limitations. "Due to Monday's power outage, the information and sales systems may not be working properly at some stations due to malfunctions caused by technological elements of the network itself." Renfe technicians are currently working to replace damaged parts and repair damage to the system.

One of the stations where users are noticing these technical problems is Granollers, on the R2 line. The machines that are part of the information services, such as the screens, both in the lobby and on the platforms, are not working. Nor are they inside the trains. Some witnesses indicate that in these cases, Renfe is providing information over the PA system about both the destinations and the tracks where each train passes.

The last essential service to recover

With the power supply restored and all activities resumed, the only service that was still not operating normally last night in Catalonia was the rail service. The restoration of the commuter, medium- and long-distance network was "more complex" than the rest of the infrastructure due to the number of kilometers of track and the checks that had to be carried out at each station, transformer, and device. During the day, many lines were restored, albeit with many limitations. The first medium- and long-distance and AVE trains were also able to depart, but many passengers were still unable to resume their journey.

The President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, assured yesterday that the commuter trains would resume full service this Wednesday, but Renfe management declined to be so forceful and assured that they would do "everything possible" to ensure that this happened. "What I can definitely guarantee is that the 2,000 Renfe employees in Catalonia are working to ensure that the service will be as normal as possible tomorrow," said the service director, Antonio Carmona, early this afternoon. Finally, everything indicates that the service has, at the very least, recovered its vitality today.