ERC agrees to allow a Renfe subsidiary to manage Cercanías for two years.

BarcelonaThe complete transfer of Cercanías will take at least two more years. This is the margin that ERC is willing to give the Spanish government of Pedro Sánchez to restore peace among the Adif and Renfe workers—who until the last minute They threatened a strike that was finally called off– and prepare the entire administrative and legal framework so that the new company that will manage the commuter rail network is 100% dependent on the Generalitat. Meanwhile, the new company that will take over Cercanías It will be part of the Renfe group and, therefore, not part of the public companies that depend on the Generalitat (Catalan regional government). The Spanish Left denies that this represents a renunciation of the comprehensive transfer signed with the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) for Pedro Sánchez's investiture and guarantees that everything will continue as planned. It will be slower than expected because, among other things, the Republicans recognize that the Generalitat (Catalan regional government) currently lacks the necessary personnel to guarantee the trains' running. And Renfe workers are not willing to make it easy.

"The transfer remains in place," assured the president of the ERC (Republican Left), Oriol Junqueras, in an interview on TV3. "At this time, the Generalitat (Catalan regional government) or the public company that could manage the trains does not have the necessary personnel to guarantee the trains' running," said Ester Capella, ERC spokesperson in the Parliament and former regional minister for Territory, on Catalunya Ràdio.

But how will this new company operate? The agreement between Transport and the unions stipulates that a subsidiary will be established, with the majority of the shares owned by Renfe and, therefore, will be part of its own commercial group. This means that all employees will continue to be subject to the same collective bargaining agreement. This decision calmed the unions, who demanded to maintain their rights to mobility throughout Spain and seniority. However, the agreement between Transport and the unions makes it clear that workers cannot be forced to transfer from Adif or Renfe to the new commuter rail operator. This could lead to problems when the company's spin-off from the Renfe group is implemented, as demanded by ERC.

The practical effects

On the other hand, the Catalan government will control the new company's board of directors: it will hold the presidency and the casting vote, so, in practice, it will have the final say on decisions that depend on management. This transaction could still represent a temporary advantage for the Generalitat: it should not, for the time being, assume Renfe's debt. Is there any further practical effect? Sources from the Ministry of Transport consulted by ARA deny this. In fact, they limit the tangible consequences of the agreement announced this Sunday to the fact that the agreement that will apply to workers will be the one they already have. But nothing more.

The regional minister for Territory, Sílvia Paneque, has expressed a similar opinion. "Decisions will be made from Catalonia," she assured, maintaining that the agreed model allows for local governance and a "firm and decisive step" toward the transfer. However, contrary to what ERC has maintained, Paneque has argued that "the operator that manages Cercanías is Renfe, and it must continue to be Renfe." From the PSC headquarters, the party's spokesperson and number two, Lluïsa Moret, clarified this by acknowledging that the agreed-upon formula is part of a "progressive process." That is to say, the situation is not definitive and is paving the way for the "structural change" that the transfer must entail.

But what did the original agreement between the PSOE and ERC say about Cercanías? The commitment was to "complete and expand the comprehensive transfer" from the State to the Generalitat throughout the Spanish legislature, which ends in 2027. The agreement included the creation of a company, Cercanías Catalunya, with a majority stake in the Generalitat and "segregated" from Renfe. The Generalitat was already expected to maintain control over the board of directors, but a qualified majority (thus, prior agreement between both administrations) was required to make "strategic decisions."

Preparation time

In any case, this impasse The two-year transition period would also allow the new company time to process the safety licenses required by the European Union. Republican sources claim that if an independent company dependent on the Generalitat were created now, it would be very difficult for traffic authorizations to arrive immediately from Europe. This is one of the arguments the party uses to justify the two-year transition period while the entire "operational" framework is prepared.

What will the Renfe subsidiary manage during these two years? For now, Line 1 of the Cercanías (Commuter Rail) has been announced, and later, Lines 2 and 3. When will the transfer of the nineteen lines that comprise the Cercanías (Commuter Rail) to the Generalitat (through the future company, which must be established at least within two years) be effective? This is a question that remains unanswered, as is whether ownership of the infrastructure—especially the tracks—will pass entirely to the future company or partly to Adif.

Together: "It's a name change"

For Junts, the agreement with the unions moves irreversibly away from this milestone and represents the "death certificate of the transfer of Cercanías." In a press conference, Junts spokesperson and vice president Josep Rius attacked the president of the Generalitat (Catalan regional government), Salvador Illa, and the government of Pedro Sánchez: "The Spanish government has never wanted to carry out a comprehensive transfer, but rather a name change."

In his opinion, the new company that will manage Cercanías will not only be a subsidiary of Renfe in which the State will carry out "most of the actions" and have "the final say on everything," but that "the service will be just as bad" and will perpetuate the current "abuse" and "chaos." Although when asked, Rius recalled that ERC (Regional Regional Government of Catalonia) had agreed to the transfer, he made it clear that they want to "focus" on the Catalan and Spanish governments. In the current scenario, Junts will join the demonstrations to defend a "decent service" in Cercanías.