The extra travel times that Rodalies users are forced to assume as a result of the 12-M incident are expensive. Pimec estimates that the labor cost generated by the restrictions on the railway service, which can last two months, as a result of the theft of copper cable in Montcada-Bifurcació that caused a surge and several fires in the network, is 2.2 million of euros daily. The aforementioned employers’ association, which brings together micro, small and medium-sized companies, as well as self-employed workers in Catalonia, has also calculated the impact of this mishap on the general economy in terms of productivity. In this case, the bill is more onerous: 3.2 million per day.
In the study, released yesterday, it has been established that 122,500 travelers suffer delays and that the average duration of these is 40 minutes per day. The most aggrieved are the users of lines R3 (L’Hospitalet–Barcelona–Vic–Puigcerdà, 27,000) and R4 (Sant Vicenç–Vilafranca–Barcelona–Manresa, 134,000). Those on the R7 (Fabra i Puig–UAB) and the R12 (L’Hospitalet–Manresa–Lleida), also affected by the same problem, are much fewer.
The passenger figures that the study takes into account, obtained from the Rodalies website, are somewhat higher than those managed by the operator, Renfe, which are more up-to-date: 25,000 on the R3 and 120,000 on the R4. Although in the latter it is the 50,000 on the northern section – the line has been divided in two as a result of the incident – ??that are most clearly affected since the train passing frequencies have worsened. The business organization’s report subtracts from the total number of passengers those who do not work by applying the Catalan unemployment rate. This leads to 122,500 who, in one way or another, suffer from the increase in travel time. The 40 minute delay arises from the different testimonies collected by the media since there is no other data available in this regard.
To calculate the labor cost caused by the Rodalies restrictions, estimated at 2.2 million euros per day, the report has taken into account the cost corresponding to each worker in Catalonia (gross salary and social contributions are included), which is 27 euros per hour (0.45 euros per minute). “The first days were assumed mainly by the companies since the affected workers arrived late due to lack of information; But as the days have passed, the latter have taken charge, dedicating more time to their travels,” Moisès Bonal, director of studies and economic analysis at Pimec, explained to La Vanguardia. In any case, he pointed out, “they are opportunity costs of the economy as a whole.”
The second aspect studied is that of productivity, which involves a daily bill of 3.2 million. On this occasion, the starting point was GDP per worker (39.20 euros per hour; 0.65 euros per minute). “It is a different approach – says Bonal – that also gives us an idea of ??how delays affect the economy.” This Pimec manager remembers other aspects derived from the 12-M incident such as “the discomfort of having to open a business late or that a production chain does not work well because someone has not arrived on time.”
Given the seriousness of what happened, Pimec urged in a statement “to adopt effective measures to prevent these situations from being repeated in the future.” In this sense, he defended putting synthetic DNA markers on copper cables, as has been done on the German railway network and which has significantly reduced theft of this material. This system consists of marking with microdots only visible with ultraviolet light that identifies the owner and makes it difficult to sell after being stolen.
Aside from the aforementioned restrictions, Rodalies continues to suffer setbacks that affect the service. Just yesterday, the breakdown of a train at Passeig de Gràcia station, around 3:30 p.m., caused delays on lines R2 south and north and R11 that in some cases exceeded 60 minutes.