The coincidence of different works on the Catalan railway network has forced to carry out important changes in schedules and frequencies of passage of many lines. It all started on April 23 and most of the effects will last until February 2023although the train mesh transformation will go putting projects on track that will continue to disrupt the service. already announced a alternate transportation planbut this Thursday, two weeks later, the Government announces a booster busesespecially in the night strip.
Works in Molins de Rei, in La Sagrera, in Montcada, in Sant Feliu, in the mediterranean corridor between Vilaseca and Castellbisbal, in Vilafranca…, agglomeration of projects that have introduced the cadenced schedules, similar to those of the metro, where the user does not memorize train arrivals but knows that (in theory) a convoy arrives every 15 or 20 minutes. If there are no delays, of course. The reinforcement of the alternative bus service is accompanied by some night time changes, since there have been many complaints about the disappearance of certain services around midnight. The last train of the R1 It passed at 11:59 p.m. at the Plaça de Catalunya station and from June 1 it will do so at 11:30 p.m. Same situation in R4, where the line now says goodbye to Barcelona at 11:03 p.m. and before it did so at 11:56 p.m. In June it will depart from the terminal at 11:33 p.m.
exhausted patience
As for the bus, the night service that connects Barcelona with Mataró and Terrassa advances its schedule by half an hour from this Thursday. The first will leave from Plaza de Catalunya at midnight. According to Ricard Fontgeneral secretary of the Department of Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territoryin the case of the Vallès line, it will make it possible to connect more and better, especially to Travelers from Cerdanyola, since those of Terrassa have other metropolitan transport services on the surface, in addition to the Ferrocarrils line. Asked about the situation in Rodalies, Font said that users “can no longer be ask for more patience because they have exhausted it all”. “What we have to ask them for – he continued – are apologies. The effort we are making will make sense if the service we can offer after works is better“.
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One of the axes that seems to be suffering the most changes is the Vilafranca-Barcelona. The person in charge of Territori has advanced a reinforcement of two reinforcement buses in each direction during peak hours. Font hasn’t wanted to do one yet. overall assessment about how the system is working with the works and the changes already underway, but he has pointed out that they have not noticed for now that Rodalies is losing passage or that there is more congestion for enter the Catalan capital by car. I mean, there doesn’t seem to be transfer from train to private vehicle. Rodalies is still 15% below the demand prior to the pandemic, while the buses managed by the Generalitat are 1% above.
Another of the measures that Font has announced is the reinforcement of the bus service between Mataró and Barcelonawhich starting in the summer, and forever, will increase the number of buses (two in each direction) by morning rush hour so that 40% of places are offered. This line reaches Glòries in 30 minutes thanks to the C-31 bus lane and the tunnel that pierces the square. What cannot be, for now, is the extension of the platforms of the arc de triomf station, long claimed by the Government. The Secretary General of Territori has explained that the Government has promised to tender the work soon. This would allow expanding the capacity of the Maresme trains up to 30%, which should avoid the saucy images of some weekday mornings.