A 19-year-old student from Pineda de Mar has launched a landmark legal claim against the Spanish Ministry of Transport and the Generalitat de Catalunya. David Pujol seeks 9,211.35 euros in compensation for the severe mental health and academic impact he attributes to chronic delays and cancellations on the Rodalies commuter rail network.

Daily Commute Becomes a Struggle

Pujol, a mathematics student at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), began using Rodalies daily when he started his studies in 2024. His journey from Pineda de Mar to the Cerdanyola-Universitat campus involved taking the R1 line to Barcelona, then connecting to the R7 line. This route, which should take just over two hours, frequently extended to four or five hours due to constant incidents and cancellations. "It was very hard for me, it hurt me mentally," Pujol explained to betevé. He added that he often found his R7 train "did not exist and nobody said anything" after a 90-minute journey.

The student reported that the systemic unreliability and lack of information caused him significant distress. He experienced anxiety attacks, sleep problems, and severe stomach pains. Pujol lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition where unpredictability and disorder cause him great anguish. "I have my day planned, and this disorder forces me to have everything controlled," he stated. "When I arrive late, I am anxious for hours and cannot concentrate. I feel powerless."

Claiming Compensation for Damages

The emotional toll eventually affected his physical health and academic performance. Pujol found it difficult to eat some days and suffered from high anxiety. The situation became so untenable that he felt compelled to move to Cerdanyola del Vallès to continue his studies. He asserts this was not a voluntary choice, but a necessity driven by the Rodalies network's habitual collapse. Works at Montcada Bifurcació and persistent R7 incidents made daily reliance on multiple transfers and alternative buses unmanageable.

Pujol's claim includes 4,500 euros for mental health damages. He also seeks 2,500 euros for the violation of his right to education and lost academic opportunities. Additionally, he demands 2,000 euros for the "uprooting" resulting from his forced change of residence. He also requests a refund for all transport passes purchased during this period.

A Precedent-Setting Case

Before filing this patrimonial claim, Pujol had submitted dozens of complaints to Renfe and other bodies. He estimates he has lodged between 40 and 50 administrative complaints, many of which received generic responses or no reply at all. Pujol maintains that the amount he claims is "moderate" given the accumulated harm over a year and a half. "Moral damages are not regulated. Nobody says: because you had this, you get paid this much," he explained. "I am asking for a moderate amount for the damage they have caused me."

This case marks a significant moment, as Pujol believes he is the first person in history to make such a claim against the authorities for Rodalies issues. Adrià Allo, a member of the Dignitat a les Vies platform, supports this view. Allo noted that "normalcy is far from having recovered" on the network. He criticised the institutional narrative, stating that train service remains less frequent than before the January crisis. Allo believes that if Pujol's claim succeeds, it "could be a precedent and an example" for other affected commuters. He warns that constant uncertainty impacts vital decisions, as people "cannot make future plans because they do not know when they will get home."

Broader Systemic Issues

Pol Méndez, from the Promoció del Transport Públic organisation, echoed these concerns. He highlighted that Rodalies' most serious problem is its lack of reliability and information. "Many times users do not even know if they will arrive," Méndez said. He also connects the rail network's collapse to wider social issues, including the housing crisis and mobility challenges. Méndez criticised the fact that large investments are "not reaching the daily maintenance of the network." The Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ministry of Transport now have six months to respond to Pujol's claim. Should they fail to respond or reject his petition, the case could proceed to the courts, potentially setting a significant legal precedent for thousands of Rodalies users across Catalonia.

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Originally published by betevé. Read original article.