Lleida-Manresa train line to be run by Catalan government railway company from 2024
SNCF will cover high-speed route between Barcelona and Madrid starting in March
FGC, the Catalan government-owned railway company, will run the R12 Lleida-Manresa train line from 2024 following an agreement that is set to be finalized in October.
Currently run by Renfe, the Spanish railway enterprise, the Catalan government foresees allocating 60 million euros towards improving the connection between the western and central Catalan cities.
The agreement would see daily train frequencies between the cities increase from 3 to 5 with the purchase of four new trains and the creation of a railway maintenance center. FGC also plans to improve the connection between the regions with an additional bus line.
Renfe faces Barcelona-Madrid competition from March
Renfe's AVE service will no longer be the only company covering the high-speed train route between the Spanish and Catalan capitals.
Indeed, from March 15, 2021, French railway company SNCF will be providing this service with its low-cost brand Ouigo.
Like AVE, Ouigo is also set to have stops in Tarragona and Zaragoza along the way.