The southern commuter rail corridor, one of the most strained sections of the Catalan rail network, continues to face setbacks. This March, it was announced that one of the key projects intended to improve train capacity and flow on this section of the R2 South line—the quadrupling of the tracks between Castelldefels and El Prat—has been stalled once again and is now pushed back to well beyond 2030. The reason? A change of heart by the Ministry of Transport has sent the project back to square one: the initial administrative procedures must begin anew, rendering the original timeline meaningless. Adding these tracks to the R2 line is considered one of the most significant actions in the Commuter Rail Plan in terms of improving capacity in this area. The project is not new; it first appeared in the 2020 Commuter Rail Plan. In mid-2024, with Adif's approval, the construction project was drafted. At that time, the work was considered simply an "expansion" of the existing infrastructure, which technically allowed bureaucratic steps to move forward.

The Spanish Congress of Deputies voted this Thursday in favor of reinstating the criteria for compensation for delays on Renfe's high-speed and long-distance trains. Specifically, thanks to the votes of Vox, Junts, ERC, Podemos, and the BNG, an amendment proposed by the PP (People's Party) was approved. sustainable mobility lawThe original criteria for compensation to AVE (high-speed train) users in cases of delays exceeding 15 minutes have been reinstated. Renfe, however, is already exploring ways to maintain the current compensation rates, approved in 2024, which only cover delays of at least 60 minutes. Sources at the Spanish rail operator confirm they are evaluating the legal framework to continue applying the existing compensation rates, which "remain the most advantageous in the sector." Company sources explain that the AVE is a commercial service covered by the 2015 railway sector law, which stipulates that it "must be provided under free competition and equal conditions with other operators." "It is unclear why this amendment only seeks to penalize Renfe, a Spanish public company, and not Ouigo or Iryo [...]. Making this demand of a single company, in a competitive environment like that of commercial services, condemns the company and its workers to compete at a disadvantage," company sources indicate. According to the amendment, starting next year, passengers who experience a delay of more than 15 minutes could claim a 50% discount on the ticket price, a percentage that will increase to 100% if the delay exceeds 30 minutes. The change represents a reversal of the elimination of compensation for 15- and 30-minute train delays, which had been implemented to only maintain compensation for delays of at least 60 minutes. Free transport in the Balearic and Canary Islands

The People's Party (PP) had opposed this criterion from the outset and took advantage of the passage of the Sustainable Mobility Law through the Senate, where it holds an absolute majority, to introduce an amendment that would force Renfe to reinstate its previous compensation policy. The Ministry of Transport, headed by Óscar Puente, also questioned the amendment, suggesting that its legal viability "needs to be examined" because it affects a company like Renfe compared to its competitors on high-speed lines, such as Iryo and Ouigo. The law, which incorporates contributions from virtually all parties, includes—through a Senate amendment endorsed by the Congress—free public transport in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Other significant amendments introduced by the PP in the Senate failed to garner enough votes to pass in the Congress, including those to freeze airport fees charged by Aena to airlines and to eliminate the "final cessation date" of the useful life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, in Extremadura.

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In five weeks, free Renfe tickets will end. The discounts established to mitigate the effects of inflation three years ago are waning, and starting in July, people will have to pay again. Last February, the Secretary of Mobility of the Generalitat, Manel Nadal, explained in Parliament that starting in the summer, free travel would give way to a 20 euro flat rate for traveling with Cercanías. But with only a few days left until the new fare system is implemented, some users already believe it will generate a "comparative grievance" between municipalities. The reason? Well, those towns not served by the Cercanías (local rail) service—even if it's just for a few kilometers—will have to pay four or five times more for traveling just a little longer, one or two more stops.

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Three hours of meeting and ten agreements on the table. The Generalitat, the Spanish government and the presidents of Adif and Renfe have left the emergency meeting this Sunday - convened yesterday by the Department of Territory - with a list of measures that should help improve the train service in Catalonia or, at least, avoid The chaos in railway mobility experienced in the last seven days.

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