The mobilization of thousands of people to witness the total solar eclipse in the Ebro Lands and other parts of Tarragona has led to significant crowding on trains. Despite the government's recommendation to use public transport to avoid road saturation, train stations have become critical points.
At Barcelona's Sants station, particularly intense situations occurred this morning. Trains arrived full, and many passengers could not board, causing pushing and some protests due to the lack of increased frequencies in the morning.
The same collapse was registered on the line heading towards Lleida, which will be the largest city in the country where the total phase of the eclipse can be observed. According to Renfe workers, regional trains were already very full from early morning.
A passenger recounted being unable to catch the train to Flix at 1 PM because it was completely full, expressing uncertainty about possible solutions and the payment already made for the ticket. Additionally, some users complained that the air conditioning was not working in some carriages.
Given the high turnout, Renfe reinforced afternoon services to the south with double trains to increase capacity. To facilitate the return journey after the eclipse, the company has established a schedule to encourage staggered returns.
Additionally, an extraordinary train service has been scheduled on the R16 line from Tortosa at 9:56 PM, with stops at all stations and an expected arrival at Barcelona's França station at 00:50 AM. Tickets for this service can only be purchased at ticket offices.
Regarding Rodalies (commuter rail), services are operating with usual delays. An incident in Castelldefels on the R2 Sud line, which passes through municipalities in the totality path of the eclipse, caused only two trains per hour per direction to run between Barcelona and Sant Vicenç de Calders for much of the afternoon. The breakdown has since been resolved, but delays of half an hour still persist.
