News
Rodalies faces new strike days at the end of May and the beginning of June
Rodalies users may once again face difficult days in the coming weeks. UGT and CCOO have called partial stoppages for 27 May and 5 June, in the middle of the working week, due to the lack of inspectors and the increase in incidents on trains. The situation threatens to put even more strain on a network already plagued by frequent delays and overcrowding.
The protests will be concentrated in three time slots that are particularly sensitive for those who rely on the train every day: from 3:00 to 6:00, from 6:00 to 9:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00. These are the times when people travel to and from work and educational centres, when stations and trains see the most activity.
The unions maintain that the reduction in ticket inspectors has left many services without enough staff to manage incidents, assist passengers or reinforce safety on board. They say that some staff have been transferred or promoted and that Renfe has not filled those vacancies, even though after accidents such as those in Adamuz and Gelida it promised to reinforce the presence of ticket inspectors on certain routes.
Added to this is another source of discontent: the disappearance of certain salary incentives linked to ticket sales and fines since the introduction of free travel passes. Union representatives consider that the company has not compensated for this financial loss, even though the free service has been maintained for longer than initially expected.
For now, the train drivers' union SMAF has not joined the call, which could partly reduce the impact of the stoppages. Even so, the forthcoming meetings between unions, the company and the Generalitat will be key to trying to break the deadlock and avoid further disruptions to the service.
The uncertainty comes at a particularly delicate time for Rodalies, where any incident usually causes a knock-on effect at heavily used stations and lines. For many passengers, the concern is not only a possible isolated delay, but the difficulty of knowing in advance what the service will look like on strike days.
Rodalies connects Barcelona with dozens of municipalities in the metropolitan area and other Catalan cities, making it essential infrastructure for workers, students and regular travellers. In recent years, the network has accumulated criticism over breakdowns, works and capacity problems, while the debate over investment and management of the service remains very much present among users and public authorities.