Spanish transport minister denies Rodalies service is worsening: 'Incident rate is dropping'

The Spanish transport minister, Óscar Puente, has denied that the Rodalies commuter train network service is worsening.

"The incident rate is dropping, and what is more important is that the number of affected trains is also being reduced, improving network delays," Puente said in Congress on Wednesday.

Commuters, he claims, will see network improvements in April after many investments. 

During his statement, Puente said that the daily incidents are not related to the lack of investment in the network but to external elements or the effects of the construction works. The Spanish minister said the Rodalies de Catalunya network is "very complicated" due to the large number of driving trains at the same time and across many kilometers.

"Around a thousand daily trains, which represent 15% of all trains driving across Spain," he told MPs in Congress before adding that the "network's configuration does not have anything to compare to any other network, not even at a European level."

Puente also criticized Catalan pro-independence Junts and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) parties for their "victimization." He said that during the last 15 days of March, the number of incidents dropped by 10%, and there were 25% fewer affected trains. 

"We are not sitting idly by," he said while explaining that Spain's rail operator Adif has invested over €2.2 billion since June 2018, and Rodalies alone saw €607 million in 2024.

Opposition says it's a 'fake transfer'

Catalan pro-independence Junts party said that the Rodalies management transfer, agreed between the Socialists and Esquerra, is a "fake transfer."

"You are asking for patience," Junts' MP Isidre Gavín told referring to Puente, "but when the problem has been going on for over 30 years, you cannot ask for more patience to commuters."

Esquerra Republicana's MP Inés Granollers regretted the constant incidents.

"The Catalan rail system suffers from structural issues, which violate commuters' right to a fine trip," she said before stating that the "full transfer of management is the only way forward, but it cannot become a war between Renfe and Adif workers and its users." She said so in reference to the strike, called off, by Renfe and Adif labor unions who opposed the change of employer.

R1, R2, R2 North, R3, R4, and R7

Minutes after Puente's speech in Congress, an issue between the northern Barcelona stations of Fabra i Puig and El Clot affected dozens of trains of the R1, R2, R2 North, R3, R4, and R7 Rodalies lines.

The issue halted all trains for 30 minutes. Once fixed, Spain's train manager, Renfe, reported that trains registered around 20-minute delays.