The railway crisis directly affects local commerce. Mayka, an ONCE coupon vendor near the high-speed access, explained that only two of her regular morning customers showed up, and her sales dropped by 1,000 euros the previous week, following the fatal R4 accident in Gelida.
The atmosphere at Sants station, currently undergoing transformation, does not help calm spirits. Construction work in the Plaça dels Països Catalans is flooded, the facade is leaking, and the interior shows exposed cables and beams, increasing the sense of precariousness.
“"I had to ask my brother-in-law for his car, that's how bad things are for me."
The situation was especially delicate early on Monday, when the promise of service restoration failed spectacularly due to a breakdown at the Adif traffic control center, leaving trains “blind.” Commuters like José María, who lives in Bordeta, are forced to rely on relatives to get to work in Granollers, having had to sell his car due to low-emission zone restrictions.
Users show great resignation. A traveler from Viladecans summarized the general feeling: “The problem is that we cannot trust it. But many of us have no other choice,” highlighting the short validity of any information provided on the platforms.
