This measure, announced by the Department of Territory during a meeting with mayors from affected municipalities, plans to utilize vehicles freed up from the RL3 line once Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) takes over its operation. The goal is to increase the number of trains running on the R13 line, which connects Barcelona and Lleida via Valls, from four to six.
The meeting, held this Wednesday, was led by the Secretary of Mobility, Manel Nadal, and included over a dozen mayors, presidents of regional councils, and representatives from user platforms. During the gathering, the Government also announced a change in the infrastructure maintenance schedule, which will shift to nighttime operations before the end of the year to avoid daytime service disruptions.
“"The meeting has been very positive as long as the commitments are met."
Opinions among the mayors varied. The mayor of Valls, Dolors Farré, expressed cautious optimism, while the mayor of Montblanc, Marc Vinya, emphasized the importance of municipal unity in demanding improvements and welcomed the Government's "good receptiveness," though he warned that municipalities would remain "on alert" for the commitments to translate into effective improvements.
However, there were also more critical voices. The mayor of les Borges Blanques, Josep Farran, gave a negative assessment of the meeting, stating that the R12 and R13 lines continue to be considered a "secondary" service. Farran warned that improvements are planned for the medium term, 10 to 15 years away, and questioned whether the current situation ensures useful mobility for residents. Similarly, the mayor of Juneda and president of the Consell Comarcal de les Garrigues, Antoni Villas, argued that the infrastructure should prioritize daily mobility for the population over freight transport.
