The great reform of Rodalies adds a new chapter, although this time (they promise) it is for a good cause. The remodeling works in the strategic station of Montcada Bifurcació force to cut completely the circulation of the R7 line, affecting more than 7,500 daily users.
Although the R4 was only affected occasionally on Sunday 2 November, the worst part was borne by passengers on the R7, who saw their line temporarily disappear from the map.
Plan B: a bus every half hour
To avoid panic, Renfe has activated an alternative plan to save the furniture, especially for the university community. The trip is now divided into two stages:
- From Barcelona to Cerdanyola: Travelers will have to use Rodalies line R4 (stopping at Fabra i Puig) to Cerdanyola del Vallès station.
- From Cerdanyola to UAB: This is where the alternative road service comes into play. A bus will cover the stretch between Cerdanyola del Vallès and Cerdanyola Universitat.
The novelty is that this bus also adds a new stop at the Campus UAB Eix Central Sud, to leave students closer to their faculties.
The frequency of this bus service will be one vehicle every 30 minutes on weekdays, and will be reduced to one bus every hour on weekends and holidays. As always in these cases, the official recommendation (and ours) is to check the timetables before leaving home to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Why these works now? The connection between Montcada and La Sagrera
Although right now it may seem like a monumental nuisance (and it is), these works are not a whim. They are part of the final phase of the La Sagrera – Sant Andreu railway macro-operation.
According to Adif (the infrastructure manager), these seven months of work at Montcada Bifurcació are crucial. The objective is to reconfigure the R4 and R3 tracks to connect them with the new definitive route that will pass through the future Sant Andreu station and, eventually, through the (never-ending) La Sagrera station.