Renfe cancels trips in Rodalies due to the loss of more than 50 drivers due to covid

The more than 50 low by covid among the machinists of Renfe have forced the operator to redesign its service in recent days Catalonia, canceling between 20 and 30 daily trips and offering punctually road transport in some sections. East Sunday the company estimates that there have been a dozen cancellations.

Among them is, for example, the R3 service that was supposed to leave at 1:44 p.m. from Tor de Querol but has not circulated to Vic, which is why Renfe has offered alternative transport by road.

As the company explains to this newspaper, casualties due to the pandemic have forced them to restructure its operations, with the challenge of “minimizing” affectations for the passenger, since replacing the drivers is “complex” and often not possible.

Without alterations in long distance

In this way, the cuts are sticking to the net of Suburbs, which is where there are more alternatives to “guarantee user mobility”. It is also intended that they affect services with low demand and with the option of other frequencies. The company already warned of this situation last December.

Renfe ensures that the trains of AVE and long distance are not being affected given its large influx at this time, it would make it even more difficult to relocate those passengers who travel far away.

On the other hand, the majority of cancellations are occurring on high-frequency lines such as R1, which crosses the Maresme. In these situations alternatives They are either waiting for the next train or opting for a road transport.

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Through a special planning, the operator sets each afternoon what modification the next day’s service will have, taking into account the evolution of the losses that can be both due to covid infection and close contacts that have to be isolated.