The rail network will remain halted until Adif can verify the safety of the entire infrastructure, confirmed the Minister of Territori (Territory), Sílvia Paneque, early this morning. The decision follows two accidents that occurred yesterday evening, with the one in Gelida (R4 line) being the most serious, causing one fatality and 37 injuries, five of which are serious.
The total stoppage of the service has meant that many commuters found stations closed this morning. Renfe has recommended the use of alternative means of transport, although users complain about the lack of information and the difficulty in finding viable alternatives, as it is not possible to replace the entire Rodalies network with buses.
“"The most feasible hypothesis is the collapse of the wall due to the rains, but we must wait to see how the investigations progress."
The Territori department recommends using FGC services or the metro, as well as interurban buses, and avoiding travel if possible. High-speed rail is operating normally, although the section between Barcelona and Madrid has a temporary speed reduction over about 200 kilometers. Minister Paneque indicated that “white marches,” or preventative train journeys without passengers, will be carried out to check the integrity of the infrastructure before restoring service.
