Spanish and Catalan governments create new joint Rodalies company

The Spanish minister of transport, Óscar Puente, and the Catalan president, Salvador Illa, met on Monday to formalise the creation of Rodalies de Catalunya, the new joint commuter rail company.

"It is not a new name, it is a new paradigm," Illa said of the company that will start operations in 2027. Puente said that Rodalies de Catalunya will "change the rules of the game."

"We are aware that the Rodalies network needs to improve a lot, but I believe we are working hard, and this is a step towards improving the service," Puente said.

The joint company will be owned by Spanish public rail operator Renfe (50.1%) and the Catalan government (49.9%), but major strategic decisions will require agreement from both sides, giving Catalonia effective influence despite its minority share.

The new company will be managed by Òscar Playà, the current general director of the Barcelona metro, and the chair will be Catalan territory minister, Sílvia Paneque.

The formation of the new company is part of a deal that pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) negotiated with the Spanish Socialists to fully transfer the Rodalies network to the Catalan government in exchange for their support to re-elect Pedro Sánchez as Spanish PM in November 2023.

Formal incorporation due this week

Although the launch was publicly presented on Monday, the company's formal incorporation before a notary is expected later this week, according to government sources.

Once the paperwork is completed, the company’s bylaws, economic and strategic plans, and the salaries of the chair and chief executive will be disclosed. Other board members will not receive remuneration.

Decision-making

The joint venture will operate commuter and regional rail services and will be owned 50.1% by state rail operator Renfe and 49.9% by the Catalan government. Its bylaws explicitly allow the Catalan government to increase its stake in the future.

Major strategic decisions, including investments and the appointment of the chief executive, will require a three-quarters majority on the board. Other resolutions will be approved by an absolute majority. Both sides say they expect decisions to be reached by consensus.

The agreed governance framework also sets out commitments to institutional cooperation, leadership by the Catalan government, the protection of workers' rights and the transfer of staff to the new operator.

R1 line to be transferred first

The company's initial challenge will be the transfer of the R1 line, which will be the first route it manages. The government says the process is "well advanced," with inventories of assets and contracts already completed. The new operator expects to take receipt of them within a month.

Rodalies de Catalunya will then need to secure safety certifications, finalise the legal framework and settle the financial terms of the transfer – issues that remain under negotiation. Despite the preparatory work, the company is not expected to begin operating the line until 2027.

The R1 line will also begin using new trains later this year, with final testing already under way.

Junts warns Madrid retains control

The pro-independence Junts party dismissed the Rodalies joint venture as "a scam," arguing that Madrid will retain real control, with transport minister Óscar Puente "holding the keys to the trains."

Junts spokesperson Salvador Vergés said the deal falls short of the promised full transfer of powers, warning that Catalonia's 49.9% stake leaves it in a permanent minority and represents "a step backwards."