Cerdanya turns to carpooling amid indefinite R3 railway collapse

Local residents are using ride-sharing apps to avoid five-hour bus journeys to Barcelona caused by train cancellations.

Generic image of an empty train station in the Pyrenees symbolizing railway isolation.
IA

Generic image of an empty train station in the Pyrenees symbolizing railway isolation.

Commuters in Cerdanya are abandoning public transport in favor of carpooling apps following the suspension of the R3 train line, which has been cut off since January 20th.

A train accident in Gelida triggered a crisis that has left the line between L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and La Tor de Querol without service. The 149-kilometer journey now takes nearly five hours using Renfe's replacement buses through the Collada de Toses mountain pass.

"Students and residents without private vehicles need the train. It is a disgrace that the line is closed more days than it is operational."

Isidre Chia · President of the Cerdanya County Council
Local business leaders and the Perquè no ens fotin el tren platform criticize the lack of a reopening date. The situation affects over 20,000 daily users and local tourism, as Adif continues works on tunnels and tracks without a clear schedule for restoring the service.