THE Spanish and Catalan governments have agreed to double maintenance spending on the lines of the national network in Catalonia that are used by Rodalies commuter and regional services, including the Barcelona commuter network.
A total of €1.83bn has been allocated over the next five years under the revised Rodalies 2026-2030 plan announced on January 28. Total investment between 2020 and 2030 will now reach €8bn, up 26% from the original figure of €6.3bn.
The revised investment plan was presented by Spain’s secretary of state for transport and sustainable mobility, José Antonio Santano, and Sílvia Paneque, minister for territory, housing and ecological transition in the Catalan regional government. It prioritises track renewal, bridge and tunnel improvements, and replacement of overhead lines.
Officials stressed that the updated plan was finalised in October 2025, and that the need to urgently increase spending on the Rodalies network has been reinforced by recent events. These include the accident that took place at Gelida on Line R4 at 21.23 on January 20, when during heavy rain a commuter train travelling at 60km/h struck a section of concrete retaining wall that was leaning at an angle of around 45°, fouling the track.
A trainee driver travelling in the cab was killed, while five people were seriously injured, including the train driver and two other trainee drivers. National operator Renfe suspended Rodalies services as other lines were inspected for damage caused by the recent severe weather. As of January 30, services remained suspended between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes due to a landslide, as well as between Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Martorell Central following the accident at Gelida.
Following the accident and resulting disruption, Josep Enric García Alemany was dismissed from his post as operations director at Renfe’s Rodalies business, at the instigation of Santano who also obtained the dismissal of the director general of operations and maintenance at infrastructure manager Adif. According to local media reports, Rodalies is now headed by Òscar Playà, appointed earlier this month as the CEO of the new joint venture between Renfe and the Catalan government that will take over Rodalies services.
Revised plan
Under the revised Rodalies plan, maintenance and asset replacement form the bulk of spending. Funding for the asset replacement programme in 2026-2030, covering preventive and corrective work, has more than doubled from €600m to €1.34bn, bringing the total for 2020-2030 to €2.24bn. A total of 287 interventions include bridge and tunnel repairs and renewing track, signalling, telecommunications, and traction power supplies.
The plan also introduces a €637m programme to build new maintenance and stabling facilities for the 110 new EMUs on order for Rodalies, of which 53 will operate in pairs to increase capacity on lines R1, R2, and R4, the busiest on the Barcelona commuter network.
Additional funding includes €25m for improving accessibility and the provision of real-time passenger information, and €500m for station upgrades, including the major interchanges at La Sagrera, Barcelona Sants, and Tarragona.
Work to improve Rodalies services will be monitored by a working group whose members represent Renfe, Adif and the Catalan regional government. It will meet weekly to assess the findings of the ongoing infrastructure inspection campaign, work in progress and the quality of service being provided by Renfe on the Rodalies network, taking any action as necessary.
