Following the fatal accident in Gelida and the subsequent hidden strike, mobility in Catalonia remains suspended. Absenteeism reached 96% the previous day, thwarting efforts by Renfe, Adif, and the Government to resume service after the incident that killed a 28-year-old trainee driver.
The resumption of service was being debated aboard 13 'white march' convoys, without passengers, reviewing every kilometer of track for the third time. This resulted from an agreement reached at the Generalitat's Department of Territory, where Minister Sílvia Paneque mediated between Renfe and the Semaf union, which was unconvinced by Adif's statement regarding the network's "operability."
“"After 10:00 PM on Thursday, Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, announced that the R2 North line was ready to resume traffic."
Facing the possibility of a repeat "undesirable situation," the Catalan Executive has activated a Plan B, reinforcing station information staff, suspending the low emission zone in Barcelona, and adding 100 interurban buses. An alternative road service remains in place for the section between Martorell and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (R4).
The Semaf union, which holds a majority and possesses deep technical knowledge, demands a "mechanism to establish improvements or mitigate risks" from the Generalitat, arguing that it has become "normalized" for drivers to report incidents without "any kind of consequence," according to Secretary General Diego Martín Fernández.
