Renfe and Catalan government to jointly manage Rodalies commuter trains from 2026

Spain's public train operator, Renfe, will create a company with the Catalan government to jointly manage the Rodalies commuter train network from January 1, 2026.

Catalonia's Socialist executive and pro-independence Esquerra Republicana have agreed that the new joint company will have its statutes by March and will begin managing Rodalies from the beginning of next year. 

Government spokesperson and territory minister Sílvia Paneque said the deal marked a "crucial step forward," at a press conference on Monday.

Alongside her, ERC spokesperson Elisenda Alamany said has been convinced that the Socialists will fulfill a "historic" agreement.

Renfe subsidiary

Renfe will create a subsidiary with its assets and staff in Catalonia. This is the first step before creating the new joint venture with the Catalan government which will operate Rodalies from 2026.

According to sources, the newly created Renfe subsidiary will hold Spain's share in the joint company.

Paneque and Alamany today formalized the agreement to create the joint Rodalies company, which will have its statutes by March. The goal is for it to be fully established before December 31 of this year.

Qualified majority

The already signed agreement presented at the Department of Territory on Monday sets out that the company will have a board of directors with equal representation between the Catalan and Spanish governments, as previously announced.

The Catalan government will hold the presidency and therefore the casting vote. However, strategic decisions will need to be approved by a qualified majority.

Transfer of ownership

Paneque emphasized that now the transfer of ownership of the Rodalies trains – as opposed to the management – now needs to be arranged.

The Catalan government has so far only started the procedures to obtain ownership of a section of the R1 line of Rodalies.

The minister also stressed that work will need to be done to ensure continuity for workers in the Renfe subsidiary that will participate in the new Rodalies company in Catalonia. Paneque explained that the agreement laid out a legal path that will take months, with a commitment that the company will be established before the end of 2025.

ERC celebrates 'significant day'

ERC Secretary General and spokesperson, Elisenda Alamany, emphasized that today marks the culmination of an agreement that began between Esquerra and the Socialists, and has now been formalized between her party and the government.

It is a "significant day" as it represents the final step toward Catalonia taking control of the Rodalies network, she said, with the aim of providing a "better service."

"This is a historic step," said Alamany, expressing confidence that the Socialists will comply with the agreement. She also pointed out that the company must be fully established by the end of 2025, which coincides with potential negotiations for the government's 2026 budget.

Junts: 'Fake' transfer

Before the announcement made by the government and ERC, Junts spokesperson Jordi Turull dismissed the transfer of Rodalies as "fake," because "the [Spanish] state has the final say" in the new joint company.

The pro-independence politician said his party wanted a full transfer "with the i's dotted and the t's crossed."