The cutoff of rail traffic between Ourense and Santiago announced by Adif weeks ago to carry out works to improve the security system became effective early this Saturday with the consequent disruption for affected travelers. Mobility is guaranteed by Renfe during the three days that the interruption of train circulation on this section will last, but the change to road transport has forced the operator to reschedule schedules.
Until Monday night, train users will travel the route by bus. The measure directly affects Avant and Alvia trains. The former transfer by road on the Ourense and Santiago route, in both directions, while the Santiago-A Coruña section is done by train.
The Alvias with origin and destination Ferrol, on the other hand, make the entire journey by bus. In other services covered by Alvia trains, such as the one that connects A Coruña with Madrid at 7:53 p.m., it is also done by road on the A Coruña-Santiago-Ourense route, and from the city of As Burgas by train to the capital of Madrid.
Travelers were already informed of this temporary modification of the service, since it implies the modification of schedules, and this Saturday they went with resignation to the Ourense intermodal bus station to make the route by road. Héctor, a student, commented moments before taking the 11:35 a.m. bus that replaces the usual Avant, which makes this trip on weekends to return to his house in A Coruña. The measure is punctual, since next weekend you will be able to use the train again, but it doubles the travel time. “Instead of taking an hour to get home, it will take me two. I don’t care too much, but hey,” he said.
“What is going to be done” is the most repeated phrase among users affected by this cut of the service that is carried out with the purpose of perform tests for the implementation of the ERTMS security system. The cut affects eight Avant services between A Coruña and Ourense, and ten that make the route in reverse. In addition to several Alvia lines on the Madrid-Galicia and A Coruña-Barcelona connection, for which various adaptations have been made.
For Lara it is a significant inconvenience, since she travels with her two young children to A Coruña and, in addition to the fact that she prefers the train to get around with the children, it will take her twice as long. The bus leaves at 11:35 and arrives at its destination at 1:38 p.m. “Instead of one hour and eight minutes, which is the time it takes on the train, it will be two hours and three minutes. If I were alone I wouldn’t care, but with two children it’s more complicated. It’s already difficult for me to keep them still on the train, let’s see if they can last on the bus,” she points out. Lara uses this service every weekend and resignedly assumed the transfer by road to Santiago. “Let’s see if the little girl falls asleep, I have faith,” she indicated before taking the bus.
Without any major setbacks, Yael and Ainara, two friends who yesterday made an occasional trip from Ourense, were queuing to get on the bus. “The change in schedule does not affect me at all, I only use this service for vacations or an outing,” says Yael. “It’s just for a walk, so we don’t mind the change because it’s not common. Today it’s time to go by bus, nothing happens,” confirms her partner.
The rescheduling of the service has taken into account the schedules of the Ourense-Madrid-Alicante AVE, which will not be affected. Thus, the first Avant that leaves A Coruña advances its schedule to 4:00 a.m. to allow the connection with the first AVE that leaves Ourense, at 6:30 a.m.
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