Work on the Garraf railway tunnel, on the R2 South line, will begin this March, as announced by Transport Minister Óscar Puente on Monday. Puente noted that this infrastructure improvement project has already been tendered and contracted, but work had not yet commenced because the Catalan government (Generalitat) had deemed it necessary to prioritize other lines on the commuter rail network. However, the work schedule for this section of the R2 South will no longer be postponed, Puente explained during a breakfast briefing held at the Ateneo de Madrid. In fact, Adif and the Commuter Rail Plan had already anticipated that these maintenance works on the Garraf tunnels—through which the trains pass and which have suffered damage for years due to corrosion caused by sea air humidity—would begin at the end of last year or the beginning of 2026. To carry out this work, however, the third-track installation in Martorell had to be completed so that once the R2 line is closed, the Regional trains would have to be diverted onto this other track. These works will force trains to run on a single track between Garraf and Vilanova i la Geltrú, which will reduce service between these stations and, consequently, force trains on lines R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 towards Barcelona to be diverted via Vilafranca. To minimize disruption to passengers, Renfe has proposed maintaining 8 trains per hour in each direction from Barcelona to El Prat de Llobregat, 6 trains to Castelldefels, 4 to Garraf, and 2 to Sant Vicenç de Calders (Baix Penedès). They are also planning two additional trains in the morning and evening to maintain the connection with Barcelona on weekdays (although the route will be extended via Vilafranca), as well as several direct bus services, increased intercity bus service, and a new service between Altafulla and Torredembarra and Barcelona.

The investment deficit in road network maintenance has increased from €9.453 billion in 2022 to €13.491 billion currently, according to calculations by the Spanish Road Association (AEC). Given these figures and the poor condition of some roads, such as the A2 between La Panadella and Cervera, which required emergency repairs on Friday after more than 20 vehicles suffered flat tires and car windows were broken by flying stones, the use of other road services is being considered. A user-pays system, which the Chamber argues should be applied to all high-performance roads in Spain, in accordance with the European Union's "user pays" and "polluter pays" principles, is being called for. The Chamber believes that the revenue from this user-pays system could guarantee the proper maintenance and improvement of the roads. However, the institution headed by Josep Santacreu makes it clear that the toll model "should be unique and equitable for the entire country," and its revenue should be allocated "exclusively to the improvement and digitization of the roads." The Chamber cites the Catalan example, where tolls were lifted in 2021, due to the end of the concession, on the AP-7, AP-2, C-32 North, and C-33, leading to a significant increase in traffic. In fact, the Chamber points out that the AP-7 "is already operating at its capacity limit," and in five years, the number of light vehicles has increased by 37% and the number of heavy vehicles by 55%. The result, according to the Chamber, is "congestion, accidents, and wear and tear on the infrastructure." It is worth recalling that the tragic train accident in Gelida, in which a train driver died, was caused by the collapse of a retaining wall on that highway.

The four tolls on the Generalitat's highways will increase by around 3% in 2026, according to a resolution that includes the Official Gazette of the Generalitat (DOGC). Specifically, the Vallvidrera tunnels will see a 2.99% increase in tolls, reaching €5.28 for cars during peak hours. The C-16 tunnel between Sant Cugat and Manresa will rise by 2.96%, and the C-32 tolls between Castelldefels and El Vendrell will increase by 2%. The section between Castelldefels and Sitges will now cost €4.21 for essential travel vehicles on weekdays and €8.42 for all others. Additionally, the toll for the Cadí tunnel will increase by 2.82%, as confirmed to ACN by sources in the Department of Territory.

The lifting of tolls on the AP-7, the AP-2, the C-32 North and the C-33 just over a month ago has changed mobility on roads. The four motorways have taken on a higher volume of traffic and, consequently, a higher accident rate. The four arteries have absorbed a large part of the vehicles that until now were travelling on the roads in their immediate surroundings, such as the N-II, the N-340 or the C-17, which have emptied and, at the same time, have reduced the number of accidents.

"Let it be over, let it be over!" The co-driver of this car does not hide his euphoria as he passes, for the last time, through the toll of La Roca del Vallès. There is another who, minutes later, will express the same emotion by waving to this iconic orange-roofed construction. Most simply opt for the horn. This is how they celebrate "the milestone", which is how the Spanish Minister of Transport, Raquel Sanchez, will refer to the end of tolls on the AP-7 and AP-2, and greet all the media waiting for her at the roadside. The head of this department arrives late to her appointment with the press due to the accumulation of traffic the toll generates. "Fortunately this image will be history in a few hours", she says shortly after arriving.

Little by little the details of the plan sent by the Spanish government to Brussels, which includes its commitments to structural reforms in order to justify the arrival of European funds, are becoming known. After the mess surrounding the suppression of reductions for joint tax returns, which seems to be definitively rejected after being included in the plan, now comes another important novelty: the gradual introduction of a pay-as-you-go service on the state road network, that is to say, the generalisation of tolls, a payment system that until now basically punished Catalonia and the Valencia.

The lifting of tolls has a direct effect on traffic, according to data from motorways where the tolls have been removed after decades. On January 1, 2020, several toll sections were lifted and during the first year of toll-free use, car traffic has increased by up to 40% despite the pandemic, according to data from the Ministry of Transport obtained by ARA.

August 31 will be the last day that tolls will be paid on the AP-7 between Salou and La Jonquera; on the AP-2, the motorway that links the AP-7 with Zaragoza via Lleida; on the northern stretch of the C-32 between Montgat and Palafolls; and pm the C-33, between Barcelona and Montmeló. What seems to be good news for users is not good news for workers. As ARA has learnt, the lifting of tolls will entail a labour force adjustment plan (ERE) in Abertis, whose concession will end. It will affect 408 workers, most of whom work collecting tolls