Surveys are often published asking the population, or specific groups, what issues concern them most. Rarely are the results surprising. This lack of surprise is basically due to two principles: media intensity and proximity. The media intensity principle states that the more coverage an issue receives in the media, the more relevant we perceive it to be. The proximity principle, for its part, operates when the problem directly affects our daily lives or those of someone close to us.

Catalan economists are currently more concerned about infrastructure than fiscal deficit, according to the winter 2026 Economic Situation Survey by the College of Economists of Catalonia. Problems in the functioning of Rodalies, the derailment that occurred on line R-1 at the beginning of the year, and the fatal accident on R-4 have led to a 13-point increase in the proportion of professionals who warn of the situation and consider it a priority issue to address. This is the opinion of 45.1% of respondents, above the 44.6% for the fiscal deficit with the State, which until now was the main concern of this professional group and has now moved to second place.

Infrastructure is a national issue. And it should be treated as such. The Chamber of Commerce, together with the council that brings together the 13 existing chambers of commerce in Catalonia, has launched an observatory to monitor public investment. It will not only point out what hasn't been done but also propose what should be done, both in the immediate future and in the longer term. The most urgent projects, up to 2030, total €14.5 billion and cover priorities such as rail, airports, water, and roads. But it doesn't stop there; it also projects to 2043, at which point the necessary investments reach €53.8 billion.

€53.8 billion by 2043 to prevent the collapse of infrastructure in Catalonia. This is the calculation made by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce through its new Infrastructure Observatory, which produced the study. Strategic projects for Cataloniawhich affects airports, railways, roads, ports, logistics, and water transition. "Current investment must be doubled," summarized the Chamber's vice president, Miquel Martí. Without addressing the investment deficit, "the system will collapse," he said. The Chamber representative called for a national agreement on the matter, led by the Catalan government. The president of the Chamber and of the Council of Chambers of Commerce of Catalonia, Josep Santacreu, stated that the necessary effort cannot be undertaken "without a united effort," such as "a major national agreement on infrastructure," and called for "local management" of these projects.

On Tuesday, the Catalan government dusted off one of the long-standing projects that has been stalled for years. The Consell Executiu (the Catalan government's executive body) gave a boost to the Eix Transversal Ferroviari de Catalunya (Cross-Sector Railway of Catalonia), the major railway project for inland Catalonia that aims to connect Lleida and Girona without passing through Barcelona, ​​a project that had been shelved for over fifteen years. Now, the government has tasked Infraestructuras Ferroviarias de Catalunya (Ifercat) with updating the technical studies that were carried out at the time, with the goal of reactivating the project.

California has been planning a high-speed rail line for years, but construction is progressing very slowly and only a few sections have been completed; Spain, however, has one of the most extensive high-speed rail networks in the world and continues to open new sections. Excessive regulation, institutional obstacles, and the way politicians respond to local interests explain why so much is being built in Spain and so little in the United States.

What has happened in recent weeks in Catalonia with the collapse of the commuter rail system, which we recall that It's still running at half speed with many sections The measures that must be implemented with buses and a radical reduction in speed are perhaps the most serious impact on citizens, but not the only one. The case of the A-2, The emergency repairs between Cervera and La Panadella, which weren't completed until yesterday, are yet another example of how the lack of maintenance is affecting mobility, the lives of citizens, and the economy of many businesses. And, in this latest case, it's clear that much of the problem stems from negligence—a lack of professionalism and drive on the part of the political and administrative authorities who haven't lived up to the demands of the country. The mayors of the affected towns have been demanding improvements to this section of highway for some time now. They feel abandoned and lament that it took dozens of cars getting flat tires due to the poor condition of the asphalt for any temporary repairs to be carried out and for the improvement works to progress.

The GDP of the Catalan and Spanish economies has been growing at double the rates of the major European economies for several years, unemployment is falling, and inflation is trending toward the 2% target. Clearly, the macroeconomic figures paint a picture of a thriving economy. However, there is a growing perception among citizens and businesses that things aren't as good as they seem on the ground; rather, there's a general feeling that economic and social problems are piling up and that, despite the positive figures, things aren't quite working. More importantly, there's a sense that action is needed to prevent things from getting worse.

The Catalan government wants to move away from the model that has been used to build and manage large public infrastructure projects over the last 14 years. This model is characterized by two elements: the payment for road use by the administration, popularly known as shadow tolling, and the possibility for private companies to buy back part or all of the completed infrastructure from the administration. This "Copernican" shift, according to sources in the Department of Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition, seeks to resolve the problems of underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance by linking investment, replacement, and maintenance. Therefore, as the head of the department, Silvia Paneque, announced on February 6, the Catalan government has launched a preliminary market consultation (CPM) to explore public works concessions with availability-based payments, meaning payment is based on the condition of the infrastructure rather than its usage. This will be done in three major areas of mobility: roads, electric vehicle charging, and Metro Line L9. All of this with a planned investment exceeding €1.2 billion. The expectation is to begin bidding this year.

The Renfe train drivers' strike lasted one day, because yesterday it was cancelled after negotiations between the unions and the ministry in Madrid.

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce has described the current collapse of the railway system in Catalonia as a "tragedy" and has harshly criticized both the planning and execution so far of the commuter rail plan for 2020-2030. The Chamber denounced delays of hundreds of millions of euros in both the bidding and execution phases of infrastructure projects, according to business entity Alicia Casart. However, the Chamber's vice president, Miquel Martí, advocated giving "a vote of confidence" to the Ministry and the two state-owned companies that manage the affected infrastructure, Adif and Renfe. Specifically, Casart recalled that, prior to the system collapse two weeks ago, the commuter rail service had suffered from deficiencies for years, to the point that it had become "normal" for "users' patience to be routinely pushed beyond its limits," resulting in a "low quality" of the network. Therefore, she added, the commuter rail plan approved by the Spanish government was intended to "make up for lost time" and "bring the network up to date." This is complemented by the creation of a new mixed operating company with a stake held by the Catalan government (although the State retains a majority stake) and progress in transferring the infrastructure to the Catalan administration. However, the head of infrastructure at the Chamber of Commerce asserted that the plan is experiencing implementation delays, both in the bidding process for construction projects and in their execution. Thus, according to the initial plan, Adif, Renfe, and the Ministry of Transport are €800 million behind schedule. The execution of works and nearly €1 billion more in tenders—a delay that will ultimately penalize future projects as well: "Today's tenders are the news in Barcelona." Casart also criticized the plan's poor planning regarding the necessary actions. Specifically, the plan included a €1.018 billion program for replacing all types of assets on the network and at Renfe, which was progressing at a "fairly good" pace in 2024. However, that same year, the copper theft at Torre Baró triggered "a series of fires that crippled the Rodal network." This incident "set off all the alarms," ​​as it compounded other problems between 2023 and 2025, causing "a range of incidents that could not be explained solely by the volume of renovation work" being carried out on the railway infrastructure.

The lack of investment in commuter rail – both by Renfe, the train operator, and Adif, the railway infrastructure manager – has been mainly explained by the low rate of budget execution of the tendered investments, since the State invests in Catalonia. only one out of every two euros budgeted for railHowever, this investment deficit is also explained by the volume of tenders, that is, the money the State budgets upfront for works in Catalonia—whether or not they are ultimately carried out. This is confirmed by the 2025 annual tender report from the Catalan Chamber of Construction Contractors (CCOC), presented this Friday at a press conference. The study indicates that the State has been reducing tenders for works in Catalonia for three consecutive years, which has caused the share of central government tenders to fall from 24.7% to 15.5% in the last three years. This figure falls far short of Catalonia's state investment needs, which, according to CCOC President Lluís Moreno Lasalle, is less than half of what it "should be."

Cercanías has a budget of 4.386 billion euros for the next four years after the extra 1.7 billion The Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano, announced on Monday the changes, which will raise the total investment for the decade to €8 billion. Although amidst the crisis triggered by the accident in Gelida, the central government and the Valencian regional government have agreed to finalize the budget available to improve the service in the coming years. A significant portion will be dedicated to the maintenance and renewal of infrastructure with the aim of improving the reliability of the network, with an allocation of €1.34 billion, "double" the amount allocated in the last five years, according to the Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque. Paneque and Santano clarified that the changes to this plan had been decided since October. Nevertheless, the Minister acknowledged that the ongoing incidents since the fatal accident in Gelida have "highlighted" the need to increase maintenance efforts. With the additional €1.7 billion, the second half of the 2020-2030 plan will have a 26% larger budget than the first. These investments will be allocated not only to infrastructure maintenance but also to actions to improve service and expand the system's capacity. The Cercanías 2026-2030 plan anticipates the addition of 53 new trains to the network, which will not only replace existing trains but also increase capacity. The goal is for all trains on the busiest lines—R1, R2, and R4—to be double-unit. To further increase network capacity, investments are also planned for track doubling, and €517 million will be dedicated to expanding parking capacity in anticipation of a larger fleet.

Eurostar, the high-speed train service connecting the UK with mainland Europe, gradually resumed rail services through the Maneg Channel Tunnel on Tuesday evening after several hours with the infrastructure shut down. However, on Wednesday morning, the company warned that delays and last-minute train cancellations were still possible throughout the day. "We plan to operate all services today, although, due to the effects of the strike, there may still be some delays and possible last-minute cancellations," the text added. On Tuesday, the rail company had announced the closure of the tunnel due to a power outage and the subsequent breakdown of the Le Shuttle train—the service that transports cars and trucks between France and Great Britain—forcing the company to "suspend all services today until nine." While Eurostar initially warned of the risk of "significant delays and last-minute cancellations," it later confirmed the suspension of all scheduled services on Tuesday. Hours later, it announced that it was gradually resuming train traffic on this infrastructure. Complications began Monday night into Tuesday morning due to a power outage affecting trains in a section of the Channel Tunnel, disrupting train and convoy traffic and requiring technical intervention. Eurostar, the company that operates high-speed lines from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam and is one of the main users of the Channel Tunnel, had to suspend its services Tuesday morning after many of its trains experienced delays, some lasting several hours.

Eurostar is offering affected passengers the option to rearrange their plans by changing their booking free of charge to travel in the same class, on a different date or time; canceling their booking and requesting an e-voucher to use within 12 months of the cancelled travel date; or canceling their booking and receiving a refund. Eurostar also states that affected LNER customers, the North East London Rail operator, with tickets dated Tuesday, December 30, "will be able to travel on an alternative LNER train today." In addition, customers who had to abandon their journey at London St. Pancras station will be able to return to their original station on the next available LNER service at no extra cost, while LNER customers who choose to postpone their Eurostar journey will be able to use their existing LNER ticket for travel on the same day.

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The transformation project for the Three Chimneys of Sant Adrià de Besòs continues to take shape. Following the initial major presentation last March of what the interior of the iconic turbine hall of the former thermal power plant should look like – the future Catalonia Media City Now, its surroundings are also beginning to take shape. The Catalan government (Generalitat) announced this Saturday the winning proposal in the competition to design the future Three Chimneys Coastal Park, a green space of nearly 90,000 square meters in the Besòs Delta. One of its key features is its flood-proof design.

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Abertis will control 100% ownership of the Vallvidrera and Cadí tunnels in Catalonia. The infrastructure concessionaire has reached an agreement with the French company Crédit Agricole Assurances to purchase 49.99% of the company that operates them, called Túneles de Barcelona i Cadí, of which it previously controlled the other half (50.01%) through its subsidiary Autopistas. The company that operates these Catalan road arteries generated revenues of €69 million in 2024 through tolls paid by users. In total, the two infrastructures comprise the 46 kilometers of road that include the Vallvidrera tunnels, the highway that crosses the Collserola mountain range to connect Barcelona and Sant Cugat del Vallès, and the Cadí tunnel, the expressway that links the Berguedà and Cerdanya regions beneath the Moixer mountain range. Túneles de Barcelona y Cadí is, therefore, the concessionary company responsible for maintaining and operating the tunnels, tracks, and access roads. The management contract began in 2013 and is scheduled to end in 2037, after 24 years. Abertis has explained that this operation strengthens its position in a strategic market like Spain. "Together with the latest acquisitions made this year, this represents a new milestone in achieving the group's strategy of maintaining a diversified and balanced portfolio," the concessionaire stated in a press release this Thursday.

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Tracking the flow of funds between the central government and the Catalan government is no easy task. This is especially true when these agreements have been in the works for years or even decades, as is the case with funds earmarked for infrastructure improvements. In 2023 – coinciding with the agreements for Pedro Sánchez's investiture – the Catalan government secured two key agreements in this regard: a grant of 914 million euros outstanding to make improvements to the roads and the B-40 or Northern Round pactwhich amounted to an additional 200 million euros. The Catalan government had been working for some time on a model similar to the Basque one to secure that money. the assignments or management ordersAnd this Monday, it was explained how that money is being invested and the current status of the projects. The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Generalitat, Manel Nadal, detailed that the department will close the year with five management agreements underway. This means that, although the project belongs to and is paid for by the Spanish government, the Generalitat leads the drafting of the projects and the execution of the work; that is, it controls the timeline and also the dialogue with the local community, "from a local perspective." "The ministry pays as we complete the work. This allows us, firstly, to accelerate the works; secondly, to guarantee that the money reaches Catalonia and prevent the projects from being abandoned and the money from ending up in the ministry's surplus; and thirdly, to do it with close collaboration and dialogue with the local community, which is the hallmark of this institution," Nadal argued. "We already have a successful experience with the B-23 bus lane in Barcelona, ​​and now it's being replicated," he recalled. This approach has allowed the Generalitat (Catalan government) to "secure the funding" and "double" its execution capacity by Christmas. In total, the five projects mobilize €1.13 billion until 2033. This money was already planned and announced and comes from the agreement to transfer the remaining €914 million for infrastructure and the €200 million that the B-40 or Ronda Nord roadworks in Sabadell and Terrassa will entail. These are the five major projects underway, their budgets, and the improvements they include: Eix Pirinenc (N-260): €260 million

The agreement was signed last November. On this road, which runs through the Pyrenees from Pont de Suert to Puigcerdà, works will be carried out to improve accessibility, the road surface, and road safety. One of the highlights will be the new Perves bypass, an area currently served by a very narrow road that needs a complete overhaul. The government will build a new road with tunnels to facilitate passage through this challenging area. Improvements are also being planned for Senterada, Sort, and other smaller changes that will enhance its functionality.

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After three years of severe drought, Catalonia is breathing a sigh of relief. Reservoirs have recovered their levelsRestrictions have been relaxed and the emergency is no longer imminent. The Water Observatory of Catalonia—comprising the professional associations of civil engineers, agricultural engineers, industrial engineers, and economists—welcomes the government's progress in preparing water infrastructure for future emergencies, but on Thursday it reiterated its flagship proposal: the interconnection of water networks on both sides of the country, from the Ebro River to industrial areas and the Muga River, for redistribution. According to its proponents, the Catalan government "is already aware" of this plan. The project, known as the water corridor, is based on creating a flexible, bidirectional network that allows for a rapid response to water emergencies. "It's about having a flexible network, supplying water when needed to the areas that require it," explains Pere Calvet, dean of the College of Civil Engineers (CECCP). In short, this is not a system of fixed water volume transfers, but rather a mechanism for timely and reversible support throughout the territory. In fact, the Observatory prioritizes three actions that should serve as the backbone of the future Catalan water corridor. The connection between the Tarragona Water Consortium (CAT) and the Aigües Ter-Llobregat (ATLL) system is based on an interconnected water corridor model, with a proposed maximum flow rate of 1.5 m³/s. This connection would hinge on the development of the Cunit desalination plant—which would reinforce the supply to the southern part of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area—and reduce dependence on the Ebro River in the Tarragona region. The second proposed connection is what they call the northern branch, which should guarantee the water supply for the Girona, Fluvià, and Muga regions, which are more prone to the effects of future droughts according to projections from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. In drought episodes, like last year and the year before, the Sau-Susqueda-Pasteral system can reach critically low levels, and there is no alternative source of drinking water. The Observatory's proposal would be to connect these basins with the rest of the Catalan system, ensuring a continuous supply. These two projects would cost around 600 million euros. The organization is optimistic and indicates that once these two axes are consolidated, they will consider leveraging the modernization of the Urgell canal to establish a link with Lleida. This third connection, which they emphasize is still under study, would allow the use of surplus water or irrigation water from Lleida's lands as a strategic emergency reserve for areas of the country at risk of drought. As with the other interconnections, they insist that it would not imply "any permanent water transfer," but rather would be a one-off mechanism to "strengthen water solidarity between territories."

]]> "They're all the same," my grandfather, who had lived through the war, used to say. He died, and my mother also used to say that they were all the same. She died too, and then, the other day, I found myself saying in a conversation: "They're all the same." Lately, the phrase has spread from politics to literary discussions; it floods the streets and shops. "They're all the same" applies equally to public and private spheres. "They're all the same" is a sign of fatalism and a chain of events.

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What will the beaches of the future be like? More importantly, will there be beaches at all? With these two powerful reflections, the Catalan Infrastructure Advisory Council (CAdIC) wanted to put on the table this Wednesday the "urgent" need to plan the management of sand on the Catalan coast to prevent beaches from disappearing.

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