In the dark through the tunnels: this is how passengers were evacuated from trains and subways.

BarcelonaThis was one of the first orders received by the Catalan security forces: to locate and free the thousands of Barcelona train and metro passengers who, due to the power outage, had been trapped inside the trains. The evacuation was carried out, obviously, on the already darkened tracks. Many of the passengers used their cell phone flashlights.

A couple of hours after the power outage, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) confirmed that all passengers on the metro trains were off the trains. The operation was also repeated for passengers trapped on commuter trains or high-speed trains. In this case, the entire rail network was paralyzed, according to Renfe, and passengers were evacuated using its own resources and also with the assistance of law enforcement. Shortly before 4 p.m., Adif announced that it was suspending train services for all companies. In total, Renfe has evacuated 30,000 people.

At 5 p.m., Óscar Puente, Minister of Transport and Urban Mobility of the Spanish government, confirmed that "it is not foreseeable that medium- and long-distance trains will be restored today. For this reason, all passengers who had planned a trip of this nature will not be able to do so. Services will no longer be possible today." Later, Puente announced that the Atocha, Chamartín, Santos, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville, Córdoba, Zaragoza, Valladolid, and Málaga stations will remain open tonight. "The goal is to make it easier for people who have to take a train and have no other option to stay overnight to do so." Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, also called for travel restrictions because "critical times are coming."

In Barcelona, ​​some metro services are gradually being restored. Shortly before 6 p.m., Line 1 partially resumed service between Fondo and Sagrera stations. According to TMB, work continues to restore service at the remaining stations. Service has also been restored between the Cornellà and Diagonal stops on Line 5, without stopping at Sants Estació.

Crowds at Sants Station

Sants station, one of the largest in Catalonia, quickly became overwhelmed. The entire rail system was paralyzed. Marina, a student at the UB, was trapped on the train. Like thousands of other passengers, she was trapped on the train. "We were stuck for about an hour and a half inside the tunnel. We were in complete darkness because there was no light coming in anywhere."

Among the commuters who gathered at the station, confusion prevailed. "They didn't give us any information, and when I got a signal, I told my parents to come from Granollers to get me," adds Marina. The station's private security closed the gates, allowing only employees to enter. The passengers, grouped outside, tried to find shade to protect themselves from the sun while waiting for more information before Adif confirmed that service would not be restored.

Anna and Maria were also among the crowd. They are two retirees from Barcelona who were going on a trip to Andalusia. They had planned to travel at high speed. They arrived on time, but after half an hour, they were told they would not be able to take the train. And then they were evacuated: "The power went out and came back on for a moment. We thought we would be able to travel, but then they told us the problem was general." All they know is from what passengers said. Finally, they were evacuated from the station "peacefully."

Queues of up to 17 kilometers at the entrances to Barcelona

Road traffic has also quickly become complicated. On the access roads to Barcelona, ​​the Catalan Traffic Service has warned of 17 kilometers of traffic jams on the B-10 (the Ronda Litoral) from Santa Coloma de Gramenet; 11 kilometers on the B-23 (access via the Diagonal) between Molins de Rei and Barcelona; and almost another 8 kilometers of queues on the B-20 (Ronda de Dalt) from the Trinidad interchange. The AP-7 and C-58 also saw traffic jams for a dozen kilometers in the direction of Barcelona. Barcelona's intercity network is experiencing complications in the city center, and the Catalan Traffic Service is urging citizens to avoid "unnecessary" travel.

In Barcelona, ​​traffic has also been chaotic at several points, as several traffic lights have stopped working. A hotspot was the intersection of Aragó Street, one of the busiest in the capital, with Urgell Street, where Gerard volunteered to organize traffic with a whistle and a fluorescent vest lent to him by construction workers. The only means of transport operating despite the blackout was the bus. As a result, many people who must return home—traveling from Barcelona to other towns—are struggling to find a parking space. This has caused long lines at intercity bus stops.

Another difficult point is El Prat Airport. Hundreds of passengers are queuing to find an alternative after their flight was canceled. Aleix Giró, who was returning home to Ibiza, told ARA that, after the blackout, he boarded the bus to board, but was told to get off after a while and informed them that the flight was canceled.

The entire airport went dark at 12:35 p.m., but within a minute, power was restored because the emergency generators were activated. Airport expert Òscar Oliver told ARA that the alternative energy generation systems at the airport have the capacity "good for a couple of days."