Spanish Congress reproaches transport minister with Catalan parties criticizing 'shameful' Rodalies situation

The Spanish Congress has officially reproached the transport minister, Raquel Sánchez, on Thursday, one day after the Senate did the same. 

A point in a motion filed by the conservative People's Party (PP) against the Spanish government's housing policy passed by 173 votes in favor, 161 against, and 6 abstentions.

Pro-independence parties Esquerra Republicana (ERC), Junts per Catalunya, and CUP all supported the third point of the motion, which was directed at the Socialist minister, with the other two motions being ultimately rejected. The PP and Vox also voted in favor of the motion.

ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián said that his party voted in favor of reprimanding the Socialist minister because of the situation affecting the Rodalies R2 South line.

"We already announced that when the minister could be reprimanded, beyond the meaning of the initiative, it would be done, and everyone understands that it is because of Rodalies," he said to reporters in the Congress. Another ERC MP, Pilar Vallugera, complained that commuters have to put up with "three incidents every day on average."

Cuca Gamarra of the People's Party called for the minister's resignation, and explained the motion was a result of mismanagement including millions of euros wasted on trains not fitting tunnels, constant delays, and "a government that is only dedicated to propaganda and not governing for Spaniards." 

Junts MP Mariona Illamola called the situation with Rodalies "shameful." "I know perfectly well the deplorable operation of the Rodalies service and the shameful excuses of Adif, of this ministry, and of previous ministries," she added.

In response, Socialist MP Arnau Ramírez criticized ERC for using the issue for "electoral" purposes, before accusing the Catalan government of "disastrous" management of the civil service entrance exams.

R2 South line breakdown

A train signal box fire at the Adif railway infrastructure management facilities in Gavà, a coastal town not far south of Barcelona, at the beginning of May continues to cause disruptions.

Officials from Spain's transport ministry said the incident is "serious" and that normal service will not return to the R2 South line for "three or four weeks."

Xavier Flores, secretary general of infrastructure in the ministry of transport, told reporters in Barcelona that it is "one of the worst incidents you can have: it leaves you blind in terms of train control and safety."

Commuters have criticized the service for regular disruption to services, and the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, blamed a lack of investment from Spain spanning "decades" for the consistent problems seen in the train network.

In response, Raquel Sánchez had defended that the Spanish government is "investing like never before" in the Rodalies network, and admitted that the system had previously been underfunded in past administrations. 

Alternative shuttle buses are in operation connecting the Catalan capital with the town of Sant Vicenç de Calders, near Tarragona. 

From Monday to Friday during rush hour there will be buses every half an hour from Sant Vicenç de Calders from 6 am to 9 am, while in the evening they will be leaving Barcelona from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.