Rodalies de Catalunya, or the Catalan rail network, connects major cities such as Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, and Lleida, integrating urban and peri-urban areas into a coherent transport system that is essential to the region’s economy and daily life.
There is a strategy that will be implemented by 2030, involving a total investment of EUR 8 billion.
The 2030 strategy is currently being implemented, with EUR 4.6 billion worth of projects implemented in 2025 to meet mobility requirements and shift traffic to rail. The initial plan for the suburban network had a budget of EUR 4 billion (in 2008-2015), but after careful review, only 10% of the investment projects were completed.
In 2020, with the launch of the strategy, a program to modernize and renew the railway infrastructure was targeted, through which 26 bridges and 19 tunnels were modernized and rebuilt, 71 rail replacement projects and 36 signaling projects were implemented.
In addition, 50 stations have been modernized and another 19 are under construction, with 62 projects in the planning stage. At the same time, seven new buildings are under construction and another five new buildings have already been completed. In total, more than 213 EUR has been invested in the station modernization program, and another 427 EUR has already been contracted.
“We have always emphasized that asset renewal was the most urgent priority, even if it is the least visible aspect for users,” said Óscar Puente, Spain’s Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
It should be noted that globally, the first phase of the strategy is 77% complete.
Essential investment in infrastructure
Catalonia leads Spain in terms of investment in rail infrastructure. The budget for the development and modernization of the railway network in this region exceeds any other investment made in the last decade, reflecting both the importance of rail transport and the need for safe and sustainable mobility for citizens.
At the beginning of 2026, the Spanish government allocated an additional 1.7 billion EUR to the railway network in Catalonia, bringing the total investment to approximately 8 billion EUR. This amount is not only the largest investment in transport in the region in the last ten years, but also the most significant budget allocation for rail infrastructure in the whole of Spain.
The investments come in response to real challenges facing the rail system: serious accidents and infrastructure failures have demonstrated that safety must be a priority, and recent strikes have highlighted the need for substantial funding for maintenance and modernization. In Catalonia, the R1 and R4 suburban lines of the Rodalies network have been affected by incidents, highlighting the need for ongoing investment to prevent problems and ensure a reliable service for commuters.
The development strategy for Catalonia’s rail network is taking shape in an ambitious plan: last year alone, more than 600 million EUR was allocated, of which approximately 70% was for railway modernization. This approach focuses on essential infrastructure, accounting for 80% of railway investments in Catalonia and almost half of the Ministry of Transport’s total budget for the region.
The Catalan rail network is operated in cooperation between Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) and Renfe, both coordinated by the regional authorities. This mixed structure provides both regional connections and efficient commuter services, helping to reduce dependence on road transport and promoting a cleaner and more sustainable model of mobility.New trains for the Catalan rail networkA high-performance infrastructure needs vehicles that are up to the task of ensuring safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly transport. In Catalonia, the operator Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) is in the process of extensively renewing its rolling stock, investing in modern trains that meet the needs of commuters and promote green mobility.
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