The Government and the chaos of mobility

The commuter rail service shutdowns and the ongoing problems on the AP-7 motorway since tolls were lifted reveal transport infrastructure that is not only inadequate but also potentially dangerous. The impact on the 400,000 commuter rail users, the AP-7 closures, the repeated accidents, and the recurring protests have a significant impact on GDP. As a result, productivity in Catalonia is hampered by deficient transport infrastructure stemming from a lack of planning and investment. How and why have we reached this point?

In the case of the commuter rail service, it is due to a chronic lack of investment. Spain decided to invest in the AVE high-speed rail network as a centralizing project, aiming for the most extensive network in the world after China's. The project was intended to bring all provincial capitals closer to Madrid. As the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) stated, this was done without considering mobility criteria and without conducting a social cost-benefit analysis. ex ante of each line. In fact, the Spanish network is underutilized. Now, with the horrific accident in Adamuz, it is suspected that maintenance has not been adequate. But there has certainly been no investment in commuter rail. The promises made in Catalonia by Presidents Rodríguez Zapatero and Rajoy have not been kept. According to the 2020 AIReF report, between 1990 and 2018, approximately €56 billion was invested in high-speed rail in Spain, and only €3.6 billion in commuter rail, half of that in Madrid and less than 17% in Barcelona. The AVE (high-speed rail) only accounted for 5% of passengers. However, investment in the AVE has led to the development of companies that export this service, contributing to the success of tourism. Furthermore, in Catalonia, the percentage of funds allocated to commuter rail, and state investments in general, that have been spent has historically been very low. It will take years to bring the service up to the level of the Catalan Government Railways (FGC). The increased investment since 2020 will take time to bear fruit. Citizens may wonder, for example, why there are no problems with inclement weather on the FGC between Terrassa and Barcelona, ​​but there are on the Renfe network. When the weather is bad, will the commuter rail service now be suspended while the FGC service continues?

It remains to be seen whether the AP-7 is being properly maintained, given the increased traffic volume, especially of trucks. These trucks pay tolls throughout Europe, except in Spain. At the point where the highway embankment collapsed onto the train tracks in Gelida, more than 25,000 heavy goods vehicles pass by daily. Surprisingly, it seems the consequences of eliminating tolls were not anticipated. Congestion on the AP-7 cannot be solved with speed management measures, unless the intention is to remove private vehicles not only from cities but also from highways. We have now seen the collapse of access roads to Barcelona.

It seems that the goal of governments is to offer services as cheaply as possible, at low or zero prices, without considering infrastructure maintenance. This is also the case with the electricity transmission grid, which is not adapted to the increase in renewable sources that lower electricity prices, but which led to the great blackout. Renewable energy requires grid upgrades, which are costly but necessary.

The commuter rail crisis calls into question, secondly, the role of the Catalan government. Who's in charge of the recently established Catalan commuter rail service? It seems the largest train drivers' union is calling the shots (and the one that opposed the transfer to the Generalitat and forced most of Renfe's employees into the new entity). Lack of coordination has prevailed between Adif, Renfe, the Spanish government, and the Generalitat. Furthermore, the back-and-forth announcements about the restoration of service are inexplicable, leaving users perplexed. The Catalan government's credibility has been damaged. Incidentally, the total or partial suspension of service to carry out inspections at some thirty points is an admission that safety conditions were not being met. This surprising situation points to Adif.

The Generalitat's problem is that it wanted to be in control. formal without having the power realThis already happened during the transfer of the service in 2010. What advantage is there in being the service provider and taking the blame when it doesn't work, when the infrastructure has problems, and when the train drivers are against it? Nor are the criticisms of the opposition valid here, as they share responsibility for the current situation, whether from the Catalan or Spanish government. Nothing is worse for a government than not being in charge, except pretending to be in charge when it lacks both the tools and the resources to do so. The Catalan government must change course with the commuter rail service. A complete transfer must be carried out properly, or not at all.