BarcelonaCatalonia is once again without trains, for the third time this week. The Catalan government announced Saturday afternoon that it will keep the entire Catalan commuter, regional, and medium-distance rail network suspended at least until Monday. This was explained by the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque, in a press conference in which she stated that train service—which was halted at midday—will not resume on Sunday either. "We cannot guarantee safety," she insisted. Paneque explained that "the effects of the storm have intensified in recent hours" and believes that the decision to suspend service "is the right one" to carry out intensive review and maintenance work on the network at the twenty or so points identified as being at risk of collapse or accidents. The minister admitted that the commuter rail network is "overwhelmed" due to years of underinvestment in this infrastructure and the effects of a storm "that has not helped." "Being able to stop and act at these points, with the entire system shut down, allows us to work more efficiently and quickly," he said. Paneque emphasized that the government wants to restore the conditions necessary to operate with maximum reliability: "Every hour [without service] gives us more time for inspections and safety." About five hours earlier, at midday, the government had formally requested that Renfe again suspend all commuter, regional, and medium-distance services "until guarantees can be given" of a reliable and sustained resumption of train service. At 1 p.m., the Catalan government justified the decision with two reasons: the adverse weather conditions forecast due to the storm. Ingrid and the latest incidents on the network. "As service providers, we have requested that Renfe and Adif completely suspend commuter rail services until the rail operators can guarantee the full operability of the tracks," explained the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, at midday, justifying the decision to once again completely halt train traffic. Between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., virtually no lines were fully operational, forcing people to resort to alternative means of transport to get around Catalonia. Furthermore, this Saturday morning saw the third landslide on a railway line this week, this time on the R4 line between Cerdanyola and Sabadell Sud. Fortunately, there were no injuries. On Friday afternoon, another landslide forced the closure of the R1 line between Maçanet and Tordera, also without injuries, but on Tuesday another landslide occurred. a retaining wall over a train The R4 collapse in Gelida resulted in one death and around thirty injuries. The following day, another wall collapsed in Pineda, but caused no injuries because traffic was also at a standstill.
Twenty-one problem areas
In the afternoon, Councilor Paneque explained that the administration has organized itself into two working groups: one focused on reviewing and certifying the work being done around the rail network, and another that organizes and ensures alternative transportation plans. They are also responsible for maintaining the suspension of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), the lifting of the toll on the C-32 highway, and the reinforcement of bus services and information staff.
The Government explained that, in parallel, Adif continues to make progress on the work at dangerous points. "Today [Saturday], the pothole on the R1 line and the trenches in Garraf will be repaired to restore the system as soon as possible," said Paneque, who also explained that three new Adif teams will join the review efforts tomorrow. "In total, there will be 12 Adif teams, plus those from the department itself," the councilor specified.
On Sunday morning, the Government will reconvene the working groups and assess whether resuming service is possible on Monday. "We will try to do it with enough time for the public to make arrangements for Monday," the councilor summarized. However, until the 21 critical points in the network due to the risk of landslides have been reviewed and maximum safety for the population is ensured, the service will remain suspended.
Coordination error
In a brief statement, the Catalan government explained in the early hours of the morning that rail operators had reported their "inability" to resume regular train service. However, three hours later, at dawn, Renfe announced "partial" train service. This coordination error is what the Catalan government attempted to rectify this afternoon with a new resolution. In this regard, the government spokesperson reported that an agreement has been reached with Renfe and Adif to establish coordination mechanisms with the administration to ensure that the information reaching the public is "clear" and that situations of "chaos and confusion" like those experienced on Saturday are not repeated. The government also reported that the resolution demands that Renfe, as service is gradually restored, provide free access to the network until this crisis is resolved "with all guarantees," since the public cannot be asked to pay for a service that cannot be operated. "We are aware that the service has resumed operating without any semblance of normality, and we apologize for the inconvenience," said Paneque. Dalmau also apologized to the public, stating that it was an "exceptional and unprecedented situation." "Users cannot be held hostage by this situation under any circumstances," admitted the Minister of the Presidency.
Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, appeared in the morning to explain the disruptions and also apologized for the chaotic situation on Saturday. In his opinion, "work was carried out all night to guarantee minimal train service on Saturday." That is why, he said, the situation "evolved" between 3:00 a.m., when the total suspension was announced, and 6:00 a.m., when some trains began running.
Chronology of a tragic week on the trains
Tuesday, January 20
At 9 p.m., a retaining wall collapsed and fell onto a commuter train on the R4 line between Gelida and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. The investigation indicates that the wall was already leaning due to a landslide caused by rain and collapsed as the train passed. The impact killed a train driver in the cab and injured 37 people, five of them seriously. This accident came on the heels of another tragedy: 48 hours earlier, a collision between an Iryo and an Alvia train in Córdoba left 45 dead and more than 150 injured.
Wednesday, January 21
In the early hours of the morning, the Catalan government, which operates the service, decided to suspend all train traffic to inspect the tracks. This was a request from the train drivers' unions, and both the central government and the Ministry of Transport considered it "a wise decision" given the damage caused by the storm. On Wednesday afternoon, the train drivers demanded a report on the condition of each track before returning to work. The central government received a certificate from Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure manager) confirming that the tracks were sound and ordered Renfe (the Spanish national railway company) to resume service: that evening, they announced that trains would run again on Thursday.
Thursday, January 22
Early in the morning, only 6 out of 140 train drivers showed up for work, and service did not begin. Renfe's driving staff again demanded a report on the condition of each track, line by line, and at a midday meeting, it was agreed that further inspections and reviews would be carried out in the cab by a team of the operator's technicians, including representatives of the drivers. Once the technical reports, most of which were favorable, were received, the Generalitat (Catalan government) announced, once again, the resumption of commuter rail service on Friday.
Friday, January 23
The weekday morning begins with trains running, but with numerous delays and disruptions due to problem areas identified during inspections. In the afternoon, another landslide on the R1 line further alarms the train drivers. Although a meeting was scheduled, it drags on, becoming a marathon session to decide what to do about the service. Eight hours later, at 3:00 AM, the Catalan government declares that there are no guarantees that operations can resume. However, on Saturday, trains do run, albeit with significant problems, and the service is eventually suspended.
