This Monday marked the true test for the railway transport system, after the free passes ended last Saturday. Despite the general normality, many commuters believe it was not the right time to reinstate payment, arguing that the service still has deficiencies.
To facilitate the transition, Rodalies has reinforced its staff at the busiest stations. Around seventy workers have been deployed to key locations such as Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, Plaça de Catalunya, Mataró, Granollers, and Sant Celoni, among others, to assist users with purchasing the new passes.
“"We understand that payment should be reinstated when the service works, but this is not yet the case; some people have seen their journey times double or triple."
The platform Dignitat a les Vies, which advocates for Rodalies users' rights, has expressed its rejection of the end of free passes. According to a spokesperson for the organization, the current service does not justify the return to payment, and they have questioned government data on passenger recovery, suggesting that many users have opted for alternatives like buses.
With the end of free passes, the subsidized prices that existed before the railway crisis are being reinstated. These prices include discounts that are part of the measures implemented by the Spanish Government to mitigate the impact of inflation stemming from the war in Ukraine. The monthly pass, allowing unlimited travel, costs €20, while the youth pass, for those born between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2011, costs €10. Bonotren prices, which include 10 journeys, vary by zone.
