The commuter rail service is still operating at half capacity, and the Catalan government is demanding that Renfe make it free.

BarcelonaMinimum service on the commuter rail network: virtually no lines are fully operational this Saturday. Following a meeting between the Government, Renfe, and Adif that lasted until 3:00 AM, and despite the company's announcement to the Catalan government that all regular service would be suspended again, Renfe announced early this morning that train service would be "partial," with multiple section closures forcing passengers to use alternative means of transport. According to ARA, the Catalan government will demand that Renfe provide free service for the duration of this rail disruption.

According to Renfe, the usual service will be available throughout the day on the R2, R2 Nord, R2 Sud (a section of the Garraf line in Castelldefels is closed, with bus service available), and R8, as well as on the R16 and R17. The remaining lines will experience disruptions. Currently, only two lines are fully operational: the R2N and the R8. At Barcelona's Sants station, a central hub of the network, some trains were departing this Saturday morning, but many were running slower than usual, causing delays. Passenger information services had been reinforced with six additional staff at the station.

The reason for this latest disruption to rail service in Catalonia is the inspections that will be carried out on multiple points at risk of landslides. On Friday afternoon, in fact, there was another landslide between Maçanet and Blanes, which reignited the crisis with train drivers, as well as with the various government agencies. Renfe spokesperson Antonio Carmona appeared this morning to explain the disruptions and apologized for the chaotic situation on Saturday.

Carmona assured the public that "work was carried out throughout the night to guarantee a minimum level of train service this Saturday." That is why, he said, "the situation has evolved" since 3:00 a.m., when the total suspension was announced, and 6:00 a.m., when some trains began running. However, he could not guarantee that the Catalan rail network would return to normal on Monday, and when asked about it, he simply replied: "We are taking it step by step to restore service. That is why we are working and holding these continuous meetings" throughout the weekend. In fact, he refused to make any predictions for the coming working days.

Lines with disruptions and alternative services

On the R1 line, there are no trains between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, the site of the landslide, and between Badalona and Montgat. Alternative bus service will be available. On the rest of the line, there will be two trains per hour in each direction, explains the Catalan News Agency (ACN). On the R2 Sud line, there is alternative bus service between Castelldefels and Garraf. On the R3 line, there is alternative bus service between Fabra i Puig and La Garriga, and there is no service between Ribes and Puigcerdà due to weather conditions. Regarding the R4 line, it is operating its usual service between Terrassa and Martorell and between Manresa and Martorell; alternative bus service is available between Terrassa and Manresa and between Martorell Central and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia; and there is one train per hour in each direction with a revised timetable between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Regarding regional trains, disruptions have also been reported. On the R11 line, there is alternative road service between Figueres and Portbou due to infrastructure work; on the R13 line, there is alternative road service between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Lleida, as well as on the R14 line between Reus and Lleida and on the R15 line between Reus and Ribarroja. The RL4 line has alternative road service between Manresa and Cervera. Renfe will provide shuttle services on the wide-gauge track for passengers traveling to Lleida. Additional information and passenger assistance staff have been activated at all affected stations. Renfe recommends that passengers check timetables and plan their journeys in advance. Since Friday night, train service has been disrupted on all lines after the day was marked by another partial shutdown of the R1 line due to a new landslide on the track between Tordera and Maçanet. The incident—which occurred at a location not identified in this week's surveys—has reignited the crisis with train drivers, who claim they cannot work safely, less than 24 hours after rail service was restored.

Meeting until dawn

Representatives from the Catalan Government, Renfe (the Spanish national railway company), and Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager) met at the Department of Territory until after 3:00 AM on Saturday to monitor the rail situation. According to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), several risk points on the network requiring urgent action were identified during the meeting. At the end of the early morning meeting, the Department of Territory announced that Adif and Renfe had informed them that service would be completely suspended on Saturday. However, early Saturday morning, some trains were running, and Renfe announced the "partial" resumption of service. The parties involved met again at 9:00 AM this morning at the Department of Territory, with members of the Geological Institute also present. Government sources attributed the problems affecting the commuter rail network on Friday to the intense and continuous rains of recent days. The latest incident was a landslide on Friday afternoon that forced the closure of the R1 line between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes stations. The line is currently not operating in either direction because it is a single track. The train drivers' association immediately expressed their discontent with this landslide, as it occurred after inspections and trial runs on all commuter rail routes, in which Adif, Renfe, and the Semaf union participated.