The Generalitat has approved a second shock plan of 21.5 million euros to reinforce interurban bus transport, with direct improvements in Vallès Occidental and action on more than fifty corridors throughout Catalonia. Among the included sections are the connections between Vallès Occidental and Barcelona, subjected in recent months to strong demand pressure.
The Government proposes this measure to increase frequencies and capacity on the most saturated corridors. The objective is to absorb the increase in travelers who have moved to the bus, especially on the lines connecting Terrassa and other municipalities in the region with the Catalan capital.
More pressure on the lines of Vallès Occidental
The connections between Vallès Occidental and Barcelona are dragging the impact of the Rodalies crisis. In this context, thousands of residents of Terrassa and the region have opted for the bus in recent months, a situation that has pushed several routes to their limit.
The consequence is direct in daily service. Some lines already run with maximum occupancy and there are passengers who cannot board due to lack of seats. The intervention approved by the Generalitat seeks precisely to alleviate that saturation with more expeditions and a greater offer of seats on the corridors with the most demand.
Concessions until 2034 in exchange for renewing the fleet
The plan is linked to an agreement with the operating companies to extend the concessions until 2034. In return, the companies will have to assume the renewal of the bus fleet, an operation valued at 762 million euros.
That cost will not come out of public coffers, but from the companies that want to maintain their lines. Operators that do not accept these conditions must bid in 2028, within the new framework provided by the Generalitat.
Target for 2029
The calendar set by the regional administration places the horizon for 75% of the buses in the network to be electric or hybrid at 2029. Currently, the implementation of this type of vehicle remains very limited, with barely thirty in the entire network.
The combination of the action plan, the expansion of concessions, and the fleet renewal aims to respond to the increase in users and accelerate the modernization of the interurban service. In regions such as Vallès Occidental, where the pressure on connections with Barcelona has skyrocketed, the measure seeks to stabilize the supply in the short term and reach 2029 with a broader, less saturated network and a cleaner fleet.