The commute to work journey: the experience of five ARA workers

ARA workers who live outside Barcelona and who are commuter train users write a diary about their experience on board the trains in a week that has been marked by the two strike calls – Tuesday and Thursday – and by the Two train drivers removed from service for alleged sabotage.

Line R4

Vallès Occidental

Should I take the Renfe train or the bus to La Sagrera and then take the metro? This is the dilemma that many of us who live in Vallès and work in the center of Barcelona face every day. a priori It's more direct and should be shorter, opting for the train is often the riskiest option: it doesn't run when it should, there are incidents during the journey (the train stops without explanation for minutes and minutes), many times the experience is also physically distressing because so many people get on and there's not enough room for everyone... There are even overcrowding! I've seen more than two or three fainting spells caused by situations like this. Traveling in a tight space is horrible, especially if you're not very tall and you're trapped with barely any view. Added to all this are the minor breakdowns, which are a daily occurrence: screens that don't work or give incorrect arrival times, problems with the PA system, stopped escalators (the ones in Plaça Catalunya have been out of order for days)... Plus, if you opt for the train to get there, since (still in 2025) they're a black hole for coverage.

The other option, the bus, is also stressful and problematic... but more reliable. I have a bus stop two blocks from my house, but I prefer to walk a little further and get on the bus two stops earlier: that way I have a better chance of getting a spot. At best, I can take a seat, but those who get on at the next stop often have to make the journey standing up and "surf" in the middle of the highway. At the last stops in town, those waiting often can't even get on because it's so crowded. They have to wait for the next bus.

Coming back by bus isn't pleasant either. Sometimes the Sagrera bus stops are tense because it's an area where many intercity buses stop. Plus, when one arrives, everyone huddles around the door, and there's always a certain amount of panic about not having a seat on the last bus ride of the day after a long day at work.

The next day, as soon as you open your eyes, you'll be faced with the same old question (without a happy ending): Renfe or bus?

Line R4

Baix Llobregat

I confess that, for reasons of schedule and convenience, I take the car to work in Barcelona. I try to prioritize the train, because it's free now, but after a bad experience the next day, I'm back behind the wheel. So this week has been a bit of a struggle that has forced me to change my personal routine. I must say that I would divide the week into two very clear parts: the first two days, delays and little information, although nothing alarming for a veteran user like me, accustomed to allocating about 50-55 minutes for a 30-kilometer trip if all goes well. What about the overhead lines, the Mediterranean Corridor works, and, recently, a recurring incident in Castellbisbal. On Wednesday, after the Cercanías (local train) announced the punishment for two drivers suspected of sabotaging the service, Everything has gone smoothly, even with the morning rain. The routine of opening the Adif app and checking the Cercanías accounts on X surprises me precisely because of the abnormal normality of all the trains running at the same time. On Thursday, the second day of the strike, there are no incidents either. The surprise is collective, and I hear a woman commenting on the news of the two drivers being disciplined, and she perfectly sums up the common feeling of mistreatment: "Look, kid, if you don't want to work here, go to your hometown." And those listening nod.

Line R1

Maresme

The Maresme line is one of the busiest, but the availability of train seats is limited, and in Premià de Mar or Mataró, passengers must make the remaining journey to Barcelona standing because all seats are full. To return in the afternoon, at Clot-Aragó station, you're likely to miss the first train due to the heavy congestion, and you have to miss one, two, or even three. Trains often have windows covered in graffiti, obscuring views outside, and inside, the information panels warning of the stations are damaged. During the morning rush hour, the schedules have been fairly well adhered to this week, except for the occasional delay due to an "incident" announced over the PA system. Even during the two days of strikes, the scheduled trains were maintained. The PA system announces the call for the strikes, but at no point is there any information about schedule changes or if any journeys have been cancelled. In the stations, there are long-broken vending machines, escalators that don't work regularly, elevators that are stopped with expired vehicle inspections, and even an abandoned bucket to catch the last leaks. If you're careless, you'll end up on the ground, because one of the train doors is broken, and there's no sign to indicate it.

Line R16

Tarragona

Two years ago, while working in Barcelona, ​​I moved back to Altafulla, and Renfe hasn't made things easy for me, especially when we went six months without a train and they started using coaches to Sant Vicenç de Calders. Journeys could take up to three and a half hours. The trains on my line are the same as they have been for years; they're in a deplorable state and break down frequently, so every day we arrive on time. I highlight two particularly frustrating moments from this past week. On Tuesday, we arrived half an hour late because a girl opened the door with the emergency handle and started screaming, cursing the unjustified delays. She left the train and left us there unable to close the door until the driver, nervous and angry, had to force it shut to get the train moving. The next day, the train arrived half an hour late, which, combined with the strikes along the route, meant that a one-hour journey became a three-hour one. The image of frustration was offered to us by a man who was running tired inside the train and who smoked a cigarette in the space between cars.

Line R2 North

Vallès Oriental

This week with Renfe has been a real nightmare (well, that's nothing new). Monday already started badly: the train was stopped for over half an hour in Montcada i Reixac, obviously without any kind of information. Only the silence and helplessness of watching the clock tick by and no one moving. On Tuesday, the situation was repeated, as if it were a déjà vuBut with the added threat of the strike, which made the return home even more chaotic: delays, overcrowding, and the feeling that no one knew which train was coming. On Wednesday morning, surprisingly, everything ran smoothly. I hadn't felt that feeling for a while. But in the afternoon, it was the same old story: delayed trains, completely missed schedules, and the feeling of relying on luck. Every afternoon, on my way home, I've had to play roulette and end up taking trains that were 30 or 40 minutes late and packed to the rafters, forcing me to travel standing up at least as far as Montcada. A week to forget, but hey, it wasn't the first and unfortunately it won't be the last.