Rodalies commuter rail transfer commission to be formed in February

The political commission that will regulate the transfer of the Rodalies commuter railway to Catalonia will be set up in February, the Catalan territory minister has announced.   

Ester Capella met with Spanish transport minister Óscar Puente on Wednesday to make progress on the transfer of Rodalies. They decided that the February meeting will establish the necessary working groups to make the transfer of services, infrastructure and financing effective.  

"We are making very good progress, things are going well, it was a very fruitful meeting," Capella said. While expressing optimism, the Catalan minister also warned that "the stakes are high for all parties involved." 

After the meeting, Puente stressed the Spanish government's "full willingness" to make the transfer effective. "This is real," he said.   

In addition to Rodalies, the commission will also address issues such as the calculation of the Catalan deficit and the transfer of economic resources. 

Socialists and ERC sign Rodalies transfer deal

Spain's Socialists and pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) reached an agreement in November that would see control of the Rodalies commuter rail network transferred from Spain to Catalonia.  

Handing over management of Rodalies has been a long-standing demand for pro-independence parties, and Esquerra included it as one of their requirements in the post-electoral negotiations to re-elect Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez as prime minister.   

The Rodalies agreement together with the Socialists' commitment to an amnesty for figures involved in Catalonia's independence push has resulted in Esquerra's leadership endorsing Sánchez's prime ministerial bid.