The free public transport tickets on Rodalies ended yesterday and caused confusion among some travelers. Complaints about the lack of clear information at stations multiplied throughout the day.
Alberto Puivecino, general secretary of the Railway Sector of CCOO, described the decision as hasty. The unionist argued that speed limitations and technical incidents that affect daily service persist.
"Until [the incidents] are minimized, it makes no sense to penalize the traveler" - Alberto Puivecino, general secretary of the Railway Sector of CCOO
Mayors criticize charging for a limited service
The institutional reaction reflected the unease of the municipalities affected by the deficiencies of the railway. Carles Palau, mayor of Bell-lloc d'Urgell, branded it an outrage to charge for a system that will take a long time to function at one hundred percent.
Marc Solsona, mayor of Mollerussa, highlighted that the increase in frequencies has managed to integrate the train into the habits of many users. For this reason, he defended that the measure of gratuity should be extended to consolidate these advances.
Sources from the Alferro railway union agreed that trains will need time to run without the current operational restrictions. This circumstance fuels the perception that the user is paying for a service quality that has not yet been recovered.
Speed limitations persist on the network despite recent improvement efforts.
Not all assessments were negative. Francesc Lluch, mayor of Sant Guim de Freixenet, considered the return to normal pricing logical. However, he acknowledged that many structural improvements are still lacking on the line.
Renfe will invest 163.7 million in new workshops
Jan Pomés, paer en cap of Cervera, underlined that the end of the gratuity comes after months of recovery work. The councilor remarked that public services have an inherent cost that must be assumed.
To address maintenance issues, Renfe will allocate 163.7 million euros until 2030. This item will finance the expansion of Rodalies workshops' capacity in what represents the first investment of its kind in almost fifty years.
The plan includes the construction of three new facilities in Manresa, Sant Celoni and Granollers. In addition, the existing ones in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Sant Andreu Comtal-Barcelona and Ripoll will be expanded.
51 wagons will be able to be repaired simultaneously compared to the current twenty-two with the new infrastructure.
In parallel, the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat trains that will operate on the Manresa line at the end of the year will have their own workshop. This facility will be located in Pla de la Vilanoveta in Lleida and will guarantee the specific maintenance of that fleet.