The Government of Catalonia and Renfe Viajeros sign the Rodalies programme contract with €1.407.6 million until 2028. It is the first contractual framework for the service since 2011.
As reported by moncloa.com, the Government of Catalonia and Renfe Viajeros finalised this Tuesday, 27 October, the programme contract that governs the relationship between both parties in the Catalan commuter network. The agreement sets an investment of €1.407.6 million until 2028 and creates a Monitoring Commission with equal representation that replaces the former Mixed Body.
The service had been operating since 2011 without its own contract, relying on tacit extensions and an Action Plan that acted as a contract without being one. The dispute reached the courts when Renfe claimed payment for improvements made between 2016 and 2025. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the operator and attributed the bill to the Government of Catalonia, as the service holder, until the investiture agreement between ERC and the Government in 2023 allowed the State to assume the cost.
The councillor Sílvia Paneque argues that the new framework will allow the Government to better carry out its responsibilities regarding a transport system used daily by "hundreds of thousands of people".
For users of the network, the most visible change is in the annual distribution of expenses. In 2026, the deficit that the Administration will assume will reach €508 million, a figure marked by the Gelida accident, which forced the multiplication of alternative road plans. Additionally, there are €74 million for the free service between late January and 8 April. In 2027 and 2028, the expected expenditure is around €450 million per year.
The rolling stock is also part of the text. A total of 110 new trains will be consolidated, of which 96 are manufactured by Alstom in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda. The goal for the next three years is to reach 250 trains for Rodalies, although production has accumulated months of delays. In terms of personnel, the target is to exceed 1,300 drivers, compared to the 926 planned to close 2027, a figure that was brought up by Minister Óscar Puente during his visit to Catalonia.
Penalties remain a weak point. Renfe can be fined up to €5 million for failing to meet schedules, but only when the delay is attributable to the operator, and many incidents arise from the infrastructure managed by Adif, which does not sign this contract. The alternative road plan is activated when disruptions exceed 90 minutes.
The political calendar also weighs on the file. From 2029, negotiations will have to be conducted with the mixed company Rodalies de Catalunya SME, and the Government wants to finalise the transfer of the infrastructure of the Maresme line before the general elections on 29 November. For this, the approval of the Joint Commission for Economic and Fiscal Affairs State-Government of Catalonia is needed, pending since September. If it meets before that date, the contract and transfer will be secured.
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