The plan, which had been shelved for two decades, aims to connect cities in the second metropolitan ring, from Mataró to Vilanova i la Geltrú, passing through municipalities such as Granollers, Sabadell, Terrassa, Martorell, and Vilafranca del Penedès. This new 120-kilometer infrastructure, with 70 kilometers of new construction and 40 stations, involves an investment of 5.2 billion euros.
Despite the political decision, the minister expressed caution regarding the execution timelines, foreshadowing an intense debate within the sector. Infrastructure experts question whether this line is truly a priority given the current deficiencies in Rodalies (commuter rail), which is plagued by incidents and delays.
Lluís Moreno, president of the Cambra de Contractistes d'Obres de Catalunya (Chamber of Construction Contractors of Catalonia), believes that "meshing the network" is a good idea for the future, envisioning a Catalonia with 10 million inhabitants, and that the debate on the second ring road is necessary due to the saturation of the first.
“"It's a year with a major railway crisis, and it's surprising that the main topic isn't improving the current network."
Adrià Ramírez, president of Promoció del Transport Públic (PTP - Public Transport Promotion), and Joan Carles Salmerón, director of the Centre d'Estudis del Transport Terminus, agree on the need to plan for the future but insist on simultaneously addressing the improvement of the existing network. Salmerón criticizes the habit of "laying concrete before knowing what we want to use it for."
Engineer Pau Noy, president of the Fundació Mobilitat Sostenible i Segura (Foundation for Sustainable and Safe Mobility), is highly critical of the proposed route, considering it too far from Barcelona and suggesting more efficient alternatives closer to the capital, such as using existing lines or improving the Vollpelleres interchange. He argues that the estimated demand does not justify such a high investment.
“"We have the bad habit of laying concrete before knowing what we want to use it for."
Manel Larrosa, a member of the Technical Commission of FemVallès, believes that the project, as it stands, makes no economic sense. However, Lluís Moreno argues that it could serve as a more social line to connect talent, decongest Rodalies, and reduce car traffic.
The sector expresses both excitement and discouragement regarding the long-term prospect of the project. Adrià Ramírez warns of the low capacity to evaluate the follow-through of a commitment that will depend on many different governments and administrations. Pau Noy states definitively that "I don't think it will be built" and that the money should be allocated to solving current problems.
