Catalonia will receive more than €500m for Rodalies commuter rail service in 2024

The Catalan government will receive more than €500 million from Spain in 2024 for the Rodalies commuter rail service, as a result of the agreement signed this week between Spain's Socialists and pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC). 

The Catalan News Agency (ACN) has had access to the figures that the Catalan territory department is working with following the deal for the "full transfer" of Rodalies control from Spain to Catalonia, agreed as part of the negotiations to re-elect Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister. 

The Spanish government has therefore accepted all of the funding strands requested by Catalonia. 

Tariff deficit 

The main payment will be for the tariff deficit – the cost of running the train service that is not covered by ticket sales. 

Some aspects of Rodalies management were transferred to Catalonia in 2010 but this payment, which in 2022 was €335 million, has never been transferred to the Catalan government. Instead, it went directly to Renfe, a Spanish public rail company. 

Action Plan 

Catalonia will also receive €132.7 million that equates to the debt generated from the implementation of the government's Action Plan since the 2010 handover. 

The government paid for the Action Plan for years, but stopped doing so because it complained that in other Autonomous Communities the Spanish government paid for it directly. 

As a result, the Catalan High Court (TJSC) recently ordered the Catalan executive to pay €80.9 million to Renfe. Now, this money will be assumed by the Spanish government. 

Adif fees 

Another point of conflict between the Spanish and Catalan administrations was the increase in fees paid by operators to use the tracks and other infrastructure, owned by another Spanish public company, Adif. 

The pact states that Spain will pay the fee increases approved in 2017 in full. 

In 2021 and 2022, according to the territory department's calculations, the fees were €27 million per year, which the government had refused to pay. Half of this money is included in the €132 million that will be paid as part of the Action Plan, and the rest will be paid separately. 

Lleida, Manresa, replacement buses 

The Socialist-ERC deal also foresees that Spain will assume the cost of doubling the services on the Lleida Rodalies lines and in Manresa, an additional €4 million.  

The Spanish government will also assume the cost of putting on additional or alternative services, including buses, when lines are closed due for repairs.