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Demonstrators Occupy Central Barcelona Station To Protest Rail Service Failures

Hundreds of people gather at Barcelona Sants, the city's main train station, in a protest organized by the pro-independence group Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC). The demonstration targets the ongoing mismanagement of the Rodalies commuter rail system by Spain's state-owned companies Renfe and Adif. Protesters wave banners and chant pro-independence slogans, denouncing chronic delays and disruptions--averaging 31 incidents per day in 2024--and call for full control of Catalonia's rail services to be transferred to the regional government. Rodalies, the name for commuter rail in Catalonia, is operated by Renfe and managed by Adif. Protesters also point to a historic lack of investment, citing that over EUR3.6 billion in planned infrastructure funds have gone unexecuted in the region since 2010. In Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on April 5, 2025 (Photo by Albert Llop/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#12229822
Date Taken	5 April 2025
Location	N/A
Photographer	Albert Llop/NurPhoto
Category	Social Issue
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Albert Llop/NurPhoto

Catalonia independence ANC protest Renfe Adif Rodalies Spain commuter rail delays infrastructure underinvestment Sants station demonstration public transport Barcelona Sants train station protest Assemblea Nacional Catalana ANC pro-independence Rodalies commuter rail Renfe Adif mismanagement delays disruptions Catalonia regional government rail services investment infrastructure funds unexecuted 2024 2025 banners slogans control transfer state-owned companies chronic issues demonstration historic lack funds Spain regional autonomy commuter system infrastructure mismanagement Albert Llop NurPhoto.