The AP-7 will be closed at least until Saturday, pending further testing of the lanes.

MartorellThe director of the Catalan Traffic Service, Ramon Lamiel, has reiterated that the 10-kilometer section of the AP-7 closed Due to the instability of the terrain at the site of the train accident in Gelida—in which a trainee driver died when a retaining wall on the highway collapsed—the road will remain closed "for days." In fact, this Saturday, the head of Traffic will accompany personnel from the Ministry of Transport, which owns the highway, on a site visit to analyze the condition of the lanes. Once further details of the road surface inspection are available, other solutions could be found to alleviate the traffic restrictions.

The retaining wall of the expressway protecting the R4 commuter rail line gave way, possibly due to the accumulation of water from recent rains, and fell onto the train. Initially, only the right lane in the area near the accident was closed, but it was later agreed with the Ministry to restrict traffic for about 10 kilometers due to the instability of the terrain and to assist the The removal of the damaged convoy took place this Thursday.The accident also forced the suspension of commuter rail service, and with no trains running, private cars were not an option. This is especially true considering that during the morning rush hour, 6.5% fewer vehicles entered the metropolitan area compared to a year ago, according to Lamiel, who praised the fact that drivers heeded the proposed alternatives to avoid the accident. cut of the AP-7 between Martorell and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia southbound.

One of these alternatives is the C-32, the Garraf motorway, which has lifted tolls and has seen an 85% increase in usual traffic. During the first hour, there were traffic jams and slow traffic on the A-2—where up to eighteen kilometers of congestion accumulated between Cornellà de Llobregat and Martorell heading towards Barcelona—the C-31, and the C-15, but for much of the day, they absorbed the vehicles that normally take the AP-7 without major problems.

"No train? They said there would be yesterday."

After a Wednesday without trains, many regular users went to sleep with the news that Cercanías was resuming service Starting this Thursday at 6 a.m. But when it comes down to it, the trains have stalled on the siding And the government's prediction of a "complicated" day came true on another day when travelers had to find alternative ways to get around.

"No train? They said there would be," lamented Naiara Gálvez, surprised to see the Martorell Central commuter rail station unusually empty. A Renfe staff member kindly directed her to the FGC station so she could catch a train to Barcelona. In fact, the photograph from Martorell illustrates the day of the service disruption: commuter rail stopped, normal service on the FGC, and delays on alternative buses due to the road closure. the AP-7

Although the Catalan government announced on Wednesday that the bus service to alleviate the commuter rail strike would run from Martorell to Vilafranca, the buses are only going as far as the end of the line in Sant Vicenç de Calders, passing through most of the intermediate stations. The buses are overlapping, with two arriving in five minutes, while Mohamed el Kari complains that he has been waiting for one for over an hour in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Once in Martorell, he runs to get into the FGC station towards Sant Esteve Sesrovires. "I don't know when I'll get home. Yesterday, some friends had to come and get me. They have no consideration for those of us who work."

One person gets off one of the vehicles, and five off the other, but some buses have even left completely empty because commuters have "learned to fend for themselves," says Ester Garcia, who is on her way to the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Renfe (the Spanish national railway company) has put in place a bus service to replace the R8 line, which has been suspended for days. Àlex finished work in Rubí before 10:00 AM and arrives in Martorell at noon on one of these buses, hoping to get to Vilanova i la Geltrú. "They told me to come here and take another bus to Vilafranca, and from there I hope to find a way to get home," he says, quite calmly. "We have a lot of patience, but it runs out too," replies another commuter who, tired of waiting, has found a car to take her to Molins de Rei. The additional information officers try to calm the frustration and desperation of the travelers. "This morning we've been told all sorts of things, but we're not to blame for what's happening; we can only guide them to the FGC trains," says one of the staff members at an empty station where the public address system is still working, announcing that there are no trains running.