Who is Òscar Playà, the CEO of the new Cercanías Cataluña?

BarcelonaThe names of the key figures were still unknown, and today they have been made public. Òscar Playà, the current director of the Barcelona metro network (TMB), will be the new CEO of Cercanías Cataluña, the new company that will take over the Cercanías operationThis was explained by the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and the Minister of Transport and Mobility, Óscar Puente, who on Monday morning formally established the new company, which will also be officially registered before a notary this week. The presidency of the new Cercanías Catalunya will also be held by a Catalan, the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque. These are, therefore, the two names that will lead the board of directors of this joint venture (formed by the Generalitat and Renfe, i.e., the State) and which has the mandate to operate – and improve – both Cercanías and Regional services from now on. Sources from the Ministry of Territory said that Playà "was the best option" due to her more than 20 years of experience "leading complex organizations" and her "extensive knowledge of the railway sector." Since 2021, Playà has served as general manager of the TMB metro network. He had previously worked at the ATM as director of T-mobility, and from now on, according to the Catalan government, he will become "more involved in the management and direction of the company."

Who's who on the board of directors of the new commuter rail service

Aside from the leadership of Paneque and Playà, the Catalan government will also have the following representatives on the board of directors of Cercanías Catalunya: the commissioner for the transfer, Pere Macias; Marc Sanglas, former Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure under the ERC government; and Teresa Torres, former financial director of Renfe. Renfe will fill the four board seats with current Renfe executives and a workers' representative. From management, the representatives will be Marta Torralvo, financial director; Miguel Ángel Vicente Calado, general manager of Renfe Viajeros; and Luis Manuel Suárez, current general manager of Renfe Engineering and Maintenance. The fourth seat will go to Raquel González, from the CCOO union, who will fill the position promised to the workers during negotiations. This position will rotate annually among the various Renfe unions.

Today's announcement marks another step forward after a year of preparations. The new company is 50.1% owned by Renfe and 49.9% by the Catalan government (Generalitat). To compensate for this, the bylaws stipulated that governance (the presidency and the general management of the board of directors) would be Catalan: that is, decision-making would rest with the Generalitat. The formation of this company and the transfer of the railway business were among the points of the agreements with the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) to invest Pedro Sánchez and Salvador Illa as presidents.

Isla: "It's not a name change, it's a paradigm shift"

During the signing ceremony for the new company, Transport Minister Óscar Puente acknowledged that the transfer is not an easy task and added that "bringing management closer to the local level" will surely improve service. "At the same time, the agreement allows us to maintain safety standards and coordination with the Spanish system, as well as the full protection of workers' labor rights," who will remain covered by the Renfe collective agreement, Puente clarified. President Illa asserted that the new company "is not just a name change, it's a paradigm shift" and proudly declared: "This was one of the most complex challenges we faced, and this is where the will of a government is truly tested." Both Puente and Illa admitted, however, that the overall improvement of the commuter rail service depends not only on management but also on the arrival of new trains to replace the outdated fleet currently operating in Catalonia and on investments to upgrade infrastructure. Both leaders also thanked Esquerra Republicana for its support in bringing the agreement to fruition. Renfe's spokesperson in Catalonia, Antonio Carmona, stated that the Spanish operator views this institutional operation "as a benefit for citizens." "Renfe will contribute its experience and ensure continuity of service, always within a framework of collaboration and in accordance with agreements with the workers," Carmona said.

The transfer: notary, inventory and start-up

So what happens now? What will the new company do? The company must be incorporated before a notary this week and, according to sources at the commissioner's office for the transfer, should receive the inventory prepared by Renfe within 30 days. This is the list of all the assets being transferred, and it's necessary to know how to provide the service. After that, it will be necessary to obtain all the safety certificates and permits required to operate. This will be the main task during 2026: getting the approval of the Spanish Railway Safety Agency. At the same time, the new CEO, Òscar Playà, will have to gradually integrate himself into the company and take the reins. Thus, everything indicates that Playà will assume the management role that until now was held by the Cercanías operations director, Josep Enric García Alemany. "The incorporation of the company is not an empty bureaucratic shell," sources from the Catalan Government emphasize.

One of the first documents the board of directors will approve is the strategic plan (which will include the budgets) and an action plan. Board sources indicate that "in the coming months" the financial terms of the transfer will also be negotiated, and details of the transfer model followed for the first line, the R1, will be provided. Since the agreement was signed, the Generalitat (Catalan government) has already received 745 million euros, money that "will be used to provide services and pay obligations." The Cercanías (commuter rail) plan already includes actions focused on two main areas: making the system more viable with the arrival of the new trains and a program to improve the workshops and maintenance areas to accommodate this new rolling stock.