Delays and cancelled trains on Rodalies network despite strike being called off

Several Rodalies commuter trains in the Barcelona area were cancelled and many more experienced lengthy delays during the early hours of Monday morning despite the planned strike being called off on Sunday evening.

Spain's train operator Renfe says the delays and cancellations on the Rodalies network are due to the "last-minute" deal between labor unions and authorities such as the Catalan territory ministry and the Spanish transport ministry.

Due to the deal being reached at the last minute, there have been issues rescheduling some trains that had been canceled beforehand due to the strike.

A train incident at Plaça de Catalunya station affected the R1, R3, and R4 Rodalies lines, which saw longer travel times than usual.

Commuters denounce "scam" situation

Users of the R4 in Vilafranca del Penedès, a town an hour south of Barcelona, have been seeking alternatives via bus in the morning.

Upon learning of the strike being called off, many were confident they would be able to reach Barcelona by train.

However, at the train station they found long waiting periods on the platform.

Faced with what they described as a “scam” of a situation in the train services, some have decided to go to the bus station.

The solution they were looking for, however, has not been smooth, because for over 18 months now express bus users have been complaining that the service is oversaturated by a daily transfer of passengers who have given up trying to get trains.

“Renfe does a good bus service, but it ends up being overcrowded between us all,” one passenger lamented to the Catalan News Agency (ACN ) as they tried to run from the train station to catch a bus instead.

Queues at the bus station in Vilafranca del Penedès have been particularly long since 7:30 a.m.

"I went to the train station at 6:20 a.m. and I have been waiting here until 7:30," Maria Dolors told ACN at the bus station. She assumed that the strike being called off would mean the train service would run properly. “I come to the station at 6:20 a.m. just to walk around,” she added while watching the long queue get longer.

Another user, Sònia, criticized that going to Barcelona from Vilafranca has become “a daily odyssey” for her.

Meanwhile, some Rodalies commuters did not change their routines and used the train to travel.

"Train was delayed a little bit, but nothing out of the ordinary," Anton Pomés, a student from Canet de Mar, told ACN at the Sants train station. In fact, he pointed out that the train was "not very busy."

Although, Pomés recognized he was a "little bit worry" if the strike had continued as he did not have any alternative to travel and he would not have been able to arrive on time to Barcelona.

Other commuters were affected, mainly, due to the incident on a train at Plaça de Catalunya. "I was expected to get on the 07:20h train, but it was very crowded," Blai Hernández, from Montmeló, said after arriving in Barcelona to study. He did not have to rush as he had expected the trip to take an hour, which is double normal time.

Marta Pascual, coming from Sant Celoni, complained that she did not have enough information, and she was "worried" as she did not know if she would arrive at her destination.

Renfe and Renfe

"The train operator is Renfe, and it will continue to be Renfe," Catalan territory minister Sílvia Paneque told journalists on Monday midday.

"What is important is that our decisions are user-centered," she said.

"Whichever is the percentage of the company operating the  trains, Rodalies is operated by Renfe, and it has to continue to be Renfe," she said in reference to the percentages of the joint company between the Catalan and Spanish governments.  

However, the most important thing, for Paneque, is that Rodalies will be managed from Catalonia and will have a director appointed by the regional government. A similar system to the one set in the Port de Barcelona enterprise.

Strike called off

On Sunday evening, the majority of the largest labor unions at Renfe and public rail infrastructure manager Adif called off a planned nationwide strike. The strike, originally set to take place over seven days in March and April, was scheduled to begin on Monday, March 17.  

The actions had originally been called in response to what the unions saw as breaches of agreements signed in 2023. These had been reached in order to call off another strike related to the transfer of the Catalan commuter rail service, Rodalies, to Catalonia and concerns over the “privatization” of freight transport.  

According to the original deal, Renfe and Adif were to continue providing service to Rodalies, but unions expressed doubt and called for a strike. 

On Sunday, the parties involved reached a new agreement, stipulating that Renfe Viajeros will hold a majority stake in the capital of the new company that will manage Rodalies, while the Catalan government will control the board of directors. This was confirmed to Catalan media on Sunday by the Spanish transport secretary, José Antonio Santano. 

This model will “guarantee the rights of Renfe and Adif workers” when the new company is created “later this year,” while the Catalan commuter rail service will be managed “locally”, explained Santano.