ARCHIVED - Trouble on the tracks as coaches replace trains between Murcia and Cartagena

Travellers on the rail Murcia-Águilas line refused to pay in protest at delays on Wednesday

The year has begun poorly for rail travellers in the Region of Murcia with trains being badly disrupted on the main Murcia-Cartagena line, coaches being used as alternative means of transport and claims by the CCOO trades union that no middle-distance services at all have operated between the two largest cities in the Region since 3^rd December.

Renfe admit that there have been problems with 40 per cent of the services on the Murcia-Cartagena line, with coaches being called out to transport passengers and the resulting delays in their arrival, but attribute this to “one-off” and “exceptional” circumstances. These circumstances, the company adds, have been more common in recent days, but the situation is returning to normal although CCOO claim that the locomotives usually used between Murcia and Cartagena are currently operating between Murcia and Lorca.

Renfe clarifies that so far this year it has used coaches to substitute trains on “only” three or four services on each of the 2^nd, 3^rd, 7^th and 8^th January.

The union also blames Renfe for the staff shortages which it says are causing the disruption, and asserts that some passengers are being turned away from buses due to them not holding the appropriate ticket and no Renfe staff being available to issue them with one.

In the south-west, meanwhile, it is reported that 70 passengers on the Murcia-Águilas refused to pay for their tickets on Wednesday in protest at the delay they suffered while waiting on the platform at the Estación del Carmen in the regional capital. They were obliged to wait 25 minutes in temperatures of around 2 degrees for the train to arrive, and even then it had to make a further stop for refuelling according to angry passengers.

In these circumstances, and in response to a lack of any explanation being given, passengers simply refused to pay up and asked the inspector to make a written report to Adif explaining their motives. They also allege that there are frequent breakdowns on the line, and that defects such as doors not closing and heating systems not working are becoming more and more common.

Image: Mos810 Wikicommons

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