Adif's decision to halt circulation to ensure track safety was communicated late on Tuesday, leaving around 400,000 daily rail users without their usual transport. The Minister of Territori, Sílvia Paneque, confirmed that the suspension would remain in effect, at least until Wednesday afternoon, following the meeting of the Catalonia Operational Coordination Center (Cecat).
They cannot tell us the time or moment when trains will resume.
The lack of trains generated confusion, outrage, and frustration among users, many of whom discovered the suspension upon arriving at key stations like Sants, which was left virtually empty. The alternative bus services provided by Adif proved clearly insufficient to absorb the influx of travelers.
The chaos quickly spread to the roads, with queues stretching for several kilometers at the entry and exit points of Barcelona and the metropolitan area. Trànsit responded by lifting the toll barriers on the C-32 (Garraf tunnel) to try and alleviate road traffic. Even high-speed rail suffered delays, although Renfe reinforced the Barcelona-Figueres line.
The Minister of Interior, Núria Parlon, indicated that mobility in the metropolitan area had increased by 6% compared to previous years. The Generalitat reinforced interurban bus services, and Protecció Civil recommended that companies and organizations facilitate teleworking to minimize the impact.
