Sources from the Government have confirmed that the current general director of the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) metro network, Òscar Playà, who hails from Sant Vicenç de Castellet, will be the CEO of the new company, Rodalies de Catalunya. Playà, an engineer who began his career at TMB in 2005, will have to step down from his responsibilities at the Barcelona transport company.
Although the presentation took place this Monday, the formal constitution before a notary is scheduled for this week. At that point, the statutes, economic plan, and salaries for the presidency and CEO will be made public. The board of directors will consist of four members from the Generalitat (besides Playà: Pere Macias, Marc Sanglas, and Teresa Torres) and four from Renfe Viajeros (Marta Torralvo, Miguel Ángel Vicente, Luis Manuel, and Raquel González). The Minister of Territory, Ester Paneque, will serve as president.
“"Management can improve and it will, but what will truly make it improve is the completion of infrastructure work and also the incorporation of new trains, because the current fleet is obsolete."
The joint company, owned 50.1% by Renfe Viajeros SA and 49.9% by the Generalitat de Catalunya, has a founding capital of 1.557 million euros. Despite the constitution, the new operator will not be fully operational until next year, as it still needs to process the railway license with the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and obtain the relevant safety certificate.
The first challenges for Rodalies de Catalunya will involve the transfer of the R1 line. Subsequent transfers are planned for the Puigcerdà, Garraf, and Manresa lines. However, the new operator is not expected to begin operating these lines until 2027.
