One bus for one passenger connects Reus and Barcelona amid Rodalies disruption

October 1 marked the start of six months of disruptions in the southern Rodalies commuter train network. Since then, thousands of commuters have been affected daily and have had to seek alternatives, including the dozens of buses provided by Spain's Renfe train operator.

In response, the Catalan territory department introduced five additional routes between Reus and Barcelona to offer more travel options. However, on the first day, only one passenger boarded the 6:15 am bus, and only two passengers did so on Tuesday.

Pedro Caro, a Reus resident, took the 6:15 am bus from his hometown to the Catalan capital on Monday. He expressed frustration, saying authorities "have not announced this new service at all," adding that the "lack of information has been significant."

On Tuesday, Caro, a member of the Rail Dignity platform, was joined by a second passenger. Just 45 minutes later, five more people took the 7:00 am bus for the same route.

"It’s a matter of time," said the city council, expecting more passengers to use this new alternative as the construction work at the Roda de Berà tunnel near Tarragona continues until March 2.

The new bus routes depart from Reus at 6:15, 10:00, 13:00, 17:00, and 20:30, supplementing the previously scheduled buses at 7:00 and 13:50, both of which stop at Reus Airport and Vilafranca del Penedès.

From Barcelona’s Diagonal Avenue, buses leave at 8:00, 11:30, 15:30, 18:30, and 22:00, along with the already scheduled routes at 10:45 and 19:20, which were introduced a few weeks earlier.

"Until Monday, the schedules were not updated at the bus station," Caro told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). On the first day of disruptions, some passengers were confused about "how to pay or how the transport card works," with the card offering ten trips for just €40.

Mediterranean Corridor

The construction work on the Roda de Berà tunnel is part of the Mediterranean Corridor, the rail link along the east coast of Spain.

In order for it to be available, the Iberian gauge railways must be adapted to the standard gauge railways.

The Spanish transport minister expects the corridor to be operational by 2027, connecting Andalusia and Barcelona to Europe.