The day of Thursday began with almost the entire Rodalies and Regional rail service paralyzed, especially on the lines connecting southern Catalunya with Barcelona. While Adif assures that the tracks are operational, Renfe indicates that the train drivers refuse to work, citing the need for "safety guarantees" after the Gelida accident.
“"It is not a whim, we need safety guarantees."
The situation has caused scenes of uncertainty at stations like Reus, which was practically a ghost town during the morning, with only about fifteen users early on. The trains scheduled for 5:35 and 6:10 a.m. bound for Barcelona were canceled. In Tarragona, the bus station absorbed the influx of passengers, with additional vehicles from the Plana company, although users reported queues and fuller vehicles, especially on the Reus-Tarragona line.
“"Renfe is not providing a service it must deliver."
Faced with the crisis, the Minister of Territori, Sílvia Paneque, led a new monitoring meeting. The Catalan Government announced it will open a file against Renfe, considering the prolonged interruption "unacceptable." The SEMAF and UGT unions denied that this is a covert strike, arguing that drivers reported to work but had no trains available to operate, as confirmed by Francisco Cárdenas of UGT.
