Commuter trains will be chargeable again from Saturday, May 9
The Government defends "a progressive improvement" of the service and says that the train has already recovered 90% of its users
BarcelonaRodalies users will pay again to use the train starting Saturday, May 9. After arguing that these past three months are "the period in which the most intense work and investment has been made in Rodalies to improve its operation," the Government has noted a "progressive improvement" in the service and, therefore, sees it as viable to lift some exceptional measures, decreed "to accompany users during this period," announced this Thursday the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque. Thus, the last day to use the railway network for free will be Friday, May 8.
The Generalitat decreed that Rodalies journeys would be free shortly after the fatal accident in Gelidathe artificial tunnel and the Garraf and Aiguadolç viaducts,During a visit to the Rubí tunnel works with the Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano, the minister indicated that the Catalan railway network was in "a critical situation" due to decades of underinvestment and adverse weather conditions; first the drought, then the torrential rains of late 2025 and early this year. Now, however, she said there has been a "progressive improvement" in the service, attributing it to the fact that the Generalitat, together with Renfe and Adif, has worked intensely on inspections and urgent repairs at 690 sensitive points on the network, and has deployed preventive measures on slopes, tunnels, and trenches, among others.
"It is necessary to value the mobilization of resources that has occurred: more than 50 technicians and 400 workers dedicated to inspections; 15 operators for repairs, and 31 emergency actions," detailed Paneque. In this regard, she explained that a total of 65 trenches have been stabilized and that work on clearing and felling trees, and placing geogrids, boulders, and structural reinforcements has also been reinforced.
For his part, Secretary Santano took the opportunity to recall that the Ministry of Transport has invested 170 million euros in emergency works at more than 100 points of the Catalan infrastructure and that all of them "are progressing according to the planned schedule". The second-in-command to Minister Óscar Puente assured that one of the "large-scale" ongoing actions is the artificial tunnel and the viaducts of Garraf and Aiguadolç,, in the stretch between Sitges and Garraf, to preserve their durability and prevent the effects of marine corrosion and waves. In this same action, he added, improvements are also being made to an underpass in the urban center of Sitges.
Improvements on the R15, R3, and R4 from Monday
According to the minister, the situation in Rodalies over the last three months has also made it possible to better manage "different already planned projects". In this regard, Paneque has pointed out that, next Monday, there will already be a series of improvements for many users. On the one hand, the R15 will recover its route from Reus to Móra la Nova; on the other hand, the R3 will re-establish its route from Ripoll to Ribes de Freser, and the R4 will once again make its full route between Sant Vicenç de Calders and Manresa. In this case, the shuttle that now operates between Terrassa and Manresa is being discontinued. Furthermore, Santano has pointed out that temporary speed restrictions (LTV) are being progressively removed: if two months ago there were 216, now there are 157.
With all these measures, Paneque said, the railway service will operate "at 96% of its potential" from next week, and he assured that Rodalies is once again earning users' trust. The spokesperson claims that 90% of its usual passengers have already been recovered. However, she also indicated that some alternative transport plans will still be maintained for a while longer, on sections "with pending improvements" and where the authorities want to work "at a higher pace". For example, the section from Falset to Riba-roja d'Ebre, or the section from Ripoll to Puigcerdà, where planned tunnel improvement works are to be accelerated.
Finally, Santano —to whom the Spanish government sent to solve the railway crisis— also indicated that the Rubí railway tunnel (Vallès Occidental) will recover circulation on the second track next June. Since this Wednesday, the tunnel has been open on a single track only for the passage of freight trains in a 12-hour daily window.