The discrepancies between Renfe and the train drivers are complicating circulation on the R2 South and also the resumption of train traffic on the R4 South between Martorell and Sant Sadurní d"Anoia, the section that still has not recovered the Rodalies service after the fatal accident in Gelida.
The conflict is maintained due to the lack of agreement on the schedules of the Alternative transport Plan due to the works on the Garraf tunnels. The drivers' unions maintain that those schedules were delivered without sufficient notice, a matter that is conditioning the railway operation on both lines.
A problem that drags on since March 16
The situation on the R2 Sud comes from afar. It has been dragging on since March 16, coinciding with the start of works in the Garraf tunnels. That same day, users already reported delays as the train drivers' schedules had not been adapted within the service reprogramming planned for the works.
The labor and operational differences have not only affected this line. They have also impacted the resumption of circulation on the R4 South, in the section between Martorell and Sant Sadurní d"Anoia, where as of today Rodalies trains do not pass.
The R4 continues without recovering the Rodalies service
Regarding this corridor, the Secretary of Mobility of the Government, Manel Nadal, had stated that the service could be resumed on March 16 after the restrictions applied due to the works subsequent to the Gelida railway accident on January 20. Finally, that resumption has not been possible on Rodalies trains.
The blockade keeps a key stretch of Penedès and Baix Llobregat without ordinary train service, while on the R2 Sud, incidents linked to the reorganization of the service during the Garraf works persist.
Renfe and train drivers expect a meeting this Thursday
This Thursday a meeting is scheduled between Renfe and the train drivers in which the driving schedules could be approved and the situation unlocked. From the operator, it is assured that the company's management is in permanent contact with the drivers to implement the programming of the alternative plan due to the works on the Garraf tunnel and apply the necessary adjustments.
"The objective is to guarantee the mobility of the travelers of the R2 South and the Regional trains of the South in the best conditions" - Renfe sources
Neither Renfe nor the majority union SEMAF have wanted to make more public statements about the conflict.
Criticisms of public transport users
The Public Transport Platform has regretted that it is the passengers who end up paying the consequences of the conflict and the poor management of the network. Its spokesperson, Adrià Ramírez, has demanded a quick solution to a situation that has been going on for months.
"We hope that it will be resolved very soon and that the necessary measures will be taken to resume normal service because it has already been many months, on the R2 South with very bad service and on the R4 South without service" - Adrià Ramírez, spokesperson for the PTP
The meeting scheduled for this Thursday is now presented as the key point to try to normalize a railway operation that continues to hinder daily mobility between Barcelona, Garraf, Baix Llobregat and Alt Penedès.