Half of Rodalies Trains Run Late Saturday as Renfe Promises Sunday Fix
Delays hit 37 of 74 Rodalies trains on Saturday morning. Renfe blames an operational problem and says a deal with drivers should restore service by Sunday.
Rodalies, the commuter rail network around Barcelona, ran late across Catalonia on Saturday, Nov. 14, for another day in a row. Renfe, the state train operator that runs the service, put the delays down to an “incidència operativa” (an operational incident) that has trains running off their timetable and taking longer to reach their stops.
At 10.00, 37 of the 74 trains in service in Catalonia were behind schedule, according to the newspaper Ara. Renfe says the service should return to normal over the weekend, and mostly from Sunday, once a new labor agreement with train drivers is fully in place.
Which lines were worst hit
Ara reported the longest waits on three lines on Saturday morning. Some R11 trains were running 58 minutes late, R4 trains had delays of 39 minutes and R1 trains were 30 minutes behind. The R1 account on X posted a warning that trains were outside their usual schedule and that journeys could take longer, and pointed passengers to the real-time service status page.
The delays follow what the local broadcaster betevé described as a chaotic week on Rodalies, with repeated incidents and strike days. On Saturday the delays again affected several lines at once.
What the driver deal changes
Renfe reached the agreement with Semaf, the train drivers’ union, according to Ara. Under the deal, drivers no longer have to report to Sants station in Barcelona to start their working day. It also brings back the old system of shifts, timetables and stations where drivers begin service.
In a statement quoted by betevé, Renfe said the agreement will improve how the service runs and cut the number of incidents seen over the past week. The company said it improves the organization of shifts and operations at the capçaleres, the stations where lines start or end, and lets it manage available staff and trains more efficiently. Renfe also said the pact directly benefits both Rodalies passengers and drivers.
The company admitted there are still “desajustos en el servei” (mismatches in the service) on Saturday.
What it means for Rodalies riders this weekend
Anyone taking a Rodalies train on Saturday faced a roughly even chance of a late departure, based on the 10.00 count, with waits of half an hour or more on the R1, R4 and R11. Journey times are longer than the published timetable while the operational problem lasts.
Renfe expects the recovery to be gradual through the weekend. It has said service should improve especially from Sunday, when the measures in the driver agreement are fully applied. The two reports differ slightly on timing: betevé quotes Renfe as pointing to Sunday, while Ara says the company expects normal running during the weekend as a whole.
Renfe has not given a time on Sunday by which all lines should be back on schedule, and it has not said how many trains will run late in the meantime. Passengers can check the live status of each line before travelling. Our guide to Rodalies lines, tickets and delay refunds covers how the network is organized.
What to watch on Sunday
The test for Renfe is whether Sunday’s trains keep to the timetable once drivers return to their old starting stations and shift patterns. Renfe has tied the end of this week’s disruption directly to that change, after a week of incidents and strike days for commuters.
