The railway service between Sant Sadurní d"Anoia and Martorell has been reestablished this Tuesday, more than two months after the interruption caused by the fatal accident in Gelida on January 20. With the reopening of this section, Rodalies recovers the train connection between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Terrassa Estació del Nord, while between Terrassa Estació del Nord and Manresa a shuttle train is maintained with complementary road support.
The day has also left another novelty on the network. The full train route between Maçanet Massanes and l"Hospitalet de Llobregat has been restored, so it is no longer necessary to transfer in Blanes.
The direct connection with Barcelona returns in several stations of Penedès
The recovery of the R4 service between Sant Sadurní and Martorell Central allows Gelida, Sant Sadurní d"Anoia, Lavern Subirats, la Granada, Vilafranca del Penedès, els Monjos, l"Arboç and el Vendrell to once again have direct train connection with Barcelona, without the need for a transfer.
The R4 returns to circulate by train between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Terrassa Estació del Nord. From that point and up to Manresa, the service continues operating with a rail shuttle and road reinforcement.
First hours with doubts in the stations
The recovery of the service has not been experienced with full normality in the first hours of the day. Many travelers learned that the section was operational again upon arriving at Sant Sadurní d"Anoia station, in a context of confusing information early in the morning. Moments of confusion were also registered because the staff at some stations were not clear if the circulation had already normalized.
"I didn't have it clear" - Antonio, user
Antonio explained that he checked social media before traveling, but he did not confirm the reopening until he arrived at the station. Lourdes also hoped to maintain the routine of the last few weeks and find the alternative road device.
"I was counting on taking the bus like the last two months and they told me that the service had normalized. It has been a surprise" - Lourdes, user
Another of the cases of confusion was recounted by Marc. In Sant Vicenç de Calders they indicated to him that he should get off in Sant Sadurní to catch the bus. When he checked that that bus was no longer working, he missed the train he had arrived on and had to wait half an hour for the next one.
Fewer travelers in the reopening
The return of the service has also occurred with a lower influx than usual before the Gelida accident. Among users, caution persists after weeks of alterations on the line and a mobility scheme based on transfers and alternative buses.
"My trust in Rodalies is what it is. The best thing they can do is keep the buses for a few days because I don't rule out that they might have to be used again" - Jordi, user
The reopening restores a key connection of the Penedès corridor with Barcelona, although the start of the service has been marked by informational doubts and by a recovery still observed with caution by regular travelers.