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Óscar Puente warns: transferring Rodalies is not enough to improve the service
Óscar Puente acknowledges the challenges facing Rodalies. Multi-million investments have not changed perceptions. The transfer of management is not the magic solution. Find out what is holding back service improvements. Will there be real changes?
Transport Minister Óscar Puente has set out the complex situation of Rodalies in Catalonia after two years leading the ministry. Despite investment exceeding 3 billion euros, users’ perception remains negative. Puente says the Catalan commuter system is Spain’s oldest and most complex, which further complicates the necessary improvements.
The minister stresses that although infrastructure and stations are being renewed — with works at more than 40 of them — the age of rolling stock and lack of capacity continue to cause daily incidents. According to Puente, 80% of lifts and escalators were not working at the start of his term, but that percentage has fallen significantly over the last year.
Puente attributes the problems to a combination of factors: historic underinvestment, deficient governance and external causes such as cable theft and vandalism. Rodalies accounts for half of incidents of this kind across the entire Spanish rail network, worsening the situation.
On transferring management to the Generalitat, Puente says proximity may improve coordination, but warns that it is not a miracle solution. He insists that without line renewals, increased capacity and the arrival of new trains, local management will have limited impact. The new joint-venture model is about to be formalised and is expected to begin receiving resources and structure in 2025.
The minister also mentions the importance of social peace achieved after negotiations with unions and administrations, and stresses that the Generalitat will have primary control in the new phase. However, he underlines that real service improvement will depend on continued investment and coordination between all the actors involved.
Regarding the Mediterranean corridor, Puente says 82% of the works are already completed or under way, and maintains the commitment that it will be operational between Almería and the French border in 2027. He also highlights the need to connect Barcelona and Lleida to ease saturation through Tarragona, with feasibility studies already put out to tender.