Passengers stranded at Rodalies train stations complain 'alert came too late'

All Rodalies commuter train lines were suspended on Wednesday morning due to a heavy rain alert, leaving thousands stranded across Catalonia. 

The suspension was announced at 10.40 am and affected all services, although some disruption had begun earlier in the morning on the R2 South and R4 South lines. 

The cancellations left hundreds stranded at various stations. At Barcelona's Sants station, one of the main travel hubs, many passengers expressed their resignation.  

"The alert came too late," Albert López, one of the stranded travelers, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

López, who lives in Santa Maria de Palautordera, about 50 kilometers from Barcelona, explained that when he arrived at his office in the Catalan capital, his employer told him to return home. 

"When we received the alert, they told those living outside Barcelona to leave, and when I arrived at Sants station, there were no trains or buses available," he said. "Now we have to wait and see if the rain stops and we can go home."   

Another affected passenger, Marcel, a university student traveling from Blanes to Barcelona for classes, expressed his frustration at the situation. 

"Halfway through the class, we were told to go home," he said. "If the alert had come this morning or even yesterday, I would have saved the trip. It’s not worth attending just two classes."

At Sants Station, passengers hoping to board Renfe's high-speed trains were also impacted, as services between the Catalan capital and Madrid were suspended around 1pm due to water accumulation in a tunnel in El Prat. 

"We arrived six hours early due to the rain," explained Beatriz, who is hoping to catch a high-speed train to Madrid later in the afternoon when the situation improves and services resume. 

Around 2 pm, Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced that train services were beginning to be restored. 

The station also hosted passengers bound for Barcelona airport who found themselves facing canceled flights. "We are left without a plane, without trains, without hotels, without anything," lamented Silvie. 

Hundreds stranded in Girona station

In Girona, many passengers were also stranded as Rodalies trains were suspended, leading many to opt for high-speed trains as an alternative. 

"For now, I have no other option than the AVE if I want to get home, because it seems there won’t be any more trains until late afternoon," explained Hassan, who lives in Figueres. 

Many passengers were caught off guard by the situation. "They should have warned us earlier to avoid this situation," one traveler said. "There are no trains, and I haven’t found any buses either," said another passenger.