The republican party has expressed its “maximum concern” regarding the severe situation facing the Rodalies de Catalunya service, especially following the collapse registered during January and the tragic accident in Gelida. They argue that the rail network, essential for mobility and territorial cohesion, is in a “critical and unsustainable” state.
During recent weeks, users have suffered constant delays, sudden cancellations, service suspensions, platform overcrowding, and a lack of reliable information, a situation that has severely affected workers, students, and businesses in the Penedès area.
ERC attributes the recent incidents —including derailments, prolonged interruptions, and the loss of a human life— to “decades of underinvestment and lack of maintenance in the infrastructure managed by ADIF”. The party highlights that between 1990 and 2018, the State allocated over 56 billion euros to high-speed rail, while Rodalies received only 3.7 billion, some of which was spent outside Catalonia.
The situation is particularly severe in Alt Penedès, where dependence on public transport is high and the road network already suffers from structural saturation. Incidents like the closure of the AP-7 following the Gelida accident further aggravated mobility, impacting alternative routes such as the C-32, A2, and N-340, demonstrating the system's fragility.
We demand a profound and structural change, which involves the effective transfer of the Rodalies service, with real capacity for planning, investment, and management from the territory, for the launch of the Transversal Railway Axis and the orbital train.
