The disruption, which initially affected Rodalies (commuter) and Mid-Distance services, spread to high-speed trains. For instance, the public address system announced track access around 2 PM for an Ouigo train bound for Barcelona that was originally scheduled for 12:24 PM.
One of the affected passengers, Iraida Caballé, a resident of Reus living in Amsterdam traveling for work, expressed her frustration. Despite choosing the AVE scheduled for 2:06 PM as the 'fastest' option, the Renfe app indicated an estimated departure at 3:17 PM.
“"I expected that at least with the AVE there wouldn't be so many problems, but there are here too."
Due to the delay, Ms. Caballé had to cancel a client meeting scheduled for the afternoon and change a meeting the following day from in-person to remote. These incidents led clients of her company to opt for teleworking all week to avoid risks of being unable to get to work.
Other passengers, such as Marta García and her mother, heading to Madrid, also voiced their frustration and fear, especially following recent incidents. Ms. García noted that her husband had already experienced a one-and-a-half-hour delay on an earlier train.
