Barcelona public transportation shuts down until 4:30 pm for general strike

Rodalies commuter rail, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), the metro, intercity buses and Barcelona city buses were suspended at 9:30 am and will not resume until 4:30 pm, in line with the minimum service levels set for public transport during Wednesday's general strike. 

In both the morning period (6:30 am to 9:30 am) and the afternoon period (4:30 pm to 9 pm), only 25% of trains and buses are running.

The Catalan government said the minimum service levels are being met "across the board," despite a "complicated" mobility situation caused by around 50 road blockades and incidents. 

It also reported "problems" at Sants station because of the actions of some picketers.

At Barcelona's Sants station, the strike began with fewer travelers than usual and several cancellations. In the early morning, a group of protesters blocked the station's exterior entrances to prevent users from entering and to "disrupt the normal operation" of services. 

There were tense moments with passengers trying to get in, who faced opposition from the protesters. The picketers left the station on their own around 7:30 am, without any intervention from the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra.

Intercity buses

Intercity bus services faced significant disruptions in the early morning because of around 50 road blockades across Catalonia. As a result, some buses were still on the road after 9:30 am because of accumulated delays, but no new departures have taken place since then.

According to the Catalan Federation of Passenger Transport Companies (FECAV), the main employers' association for the intercity bus sector, the minimum service levels were met, with no major incidents other than the road blockades at various locations.

Barcelona metro and buses

Barcelona's public transport operator, TMB, said metro trains were progressively withdrawn from service, and the entire network is now shut down. All stations are closed. 

Earlier in the day, while the minimum service levels were in effect, the metro operated relatively normally, though with longer intervals between trains and more crowded carriages than usual.

In some cases, passageways connecting lines were closed, forcing passengers to transfer at street level.

Crowding was observed at the entrances of some stations, such as La Sagrera. At others, such as Sants, where the connection between lines stayed open, there were fewer passengers than usual.

On Barcelona's bus network, TMB said service levels fell slightly below the mandated minimums because vehicles were unable to leave the Triangle depot. Buses were able to leave the Horta and Zona Franca depots.