To date, the R-Airport was the proud little paw that the Government put into the network of Rodalies of Barcelona, after the emergence of the Lleida railway network, in 2016, with the line that connects this city with Pobla de Segur. It was said that it would depart from Sant Andreu station and that it would go to the two terminals of El Prat via the Passeig de Gràcia tunnelwith a total of eight stops, half that of the L9, which is 14 from much closer, Zona Universitària. But the most important thing is that the operator would become Railwaysthat is, the public transport company of the Generalitat, and not Renfe. The total transfer of Rodalies to Catalonia, agreed between ERC and PSOE to guarantee the inauguration of Pedro Sánchez as President of the Government, could change things. In fact, the idea that the Government shared after learning about the pact is that the network would be analyzed “kilometer by kilometer” before making decisions. Including R-Aeroport, which has gone from having a crystal-clear roadmap to being a service that cannot be ruled out.no alternative“.
The shuttle was presented in style in December 2020, by the then ‘councilor’ of Digital and Territorial Policies, Jordi Puigneró (Junts). It was said that the service would have 10 trains and a 15 minute passing frequency and “always at the same times” (now, the R2 Sud runs every 30 minutes and only stops at terminal 2), something that, no matter how willful it sounds, would always depend on the convoy movement through the railway tunnel that crosses Barcelona and that it would share with other lines, such as the R2 and all its variables, as well as several regional lines. It is the main difference between the Railway and Renfe systems: the first works practically like a metro, without obstacles, while the second shares infrastructure, even with freight trains.
Vallès-El Prat
The Government then assured that the R-Aeroport, with a price of 5.15 euros (same rate as the metro), would generate some 14 million trips, which would allow the system to be self-financing. The railway proposal, however, raised the hackles of entities such as the Public Transport Promotion association (PTP), which defended and defends that the R-Aeroport should be incorporated into the Rodalies network by lengthening an already existing line. They proposed that the R4 be the one that reached the airport, which would also allow the inhabitants of Vallès They could reach El Prat directly. To date, the Government had always turned its back on this suggestion.
Laia Mercadédeputy director general of Transport Ferroviari of the Department of Territory, opened the game board on Thursday in an event organized precisely by the PTP in which they reflected on the present and future of Rodalies. Asked about the shuttle, she said, verbatim, the following: “I find it interesting that the R-Aeroport goes beyond Sant Andreu.” And regarding the possibility that the R4 will take over the R-Aeroport route, she said: “I do not rule out any alternative right now, because none is definitive. It is not decided“His statement caught the PTP off guard, which in the mouth of one of its members and former president, Ricard Riolonce again strongly recommended that a new line not be opened which, in his view, would further saturate the motley system of the Rodalies that they cross the bowels of Barcelona.
The creation of one new joint venture (Generalitat-State, with a majority on this side of the Ebro) could be one of the reasons for the nuance now introduced by Territori. That is, if it is achieved replace Renfe with Rodalies de Catalunya (the name of the new public ‘joint venture’), the argument of Railways’ crusade as a 100% operator loses epic. And if the PTP is right and add more lines to an already stressed mesh is a bad idea, maintaining the initial roadmap can be a stone in one’s shoe just when, after many years of vindication, we finally have the helm of the railway network. Integration would also make sense if Territori’s desire to design a much more comprehensive system is taken into account.
Vinyl the wagons
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And what would happen to the trains ordered by the Government to Alstom worth 177 million euros (including 15 years of maintenance) and which should begin circulation in 2025? The operate Ferrocarrils or Rodalies de Catalunyait will be necessary yes or yes to cover the new demand, and only at the last moment, when it is time vinyl the wagons, Territori will have to break the tie to put one logo or another. Although it is most likely that from the outset, operational issues (the R4, if it were the chosen line, would have to go from the Catalunya tunnel to the Passeig de Gràcia tunnel, for example), it is most likely that the service will start as planned.
Once underway, it remains to be seen if expectations are met, taking into account that the company itself General Directorate of Pressupostosin its assessment report on the project from April 2021, warned of “risks that must be properly managed“There were basically two, and they refer to the demand planned. First, a pandemic that “has so modified the travel habits with the new ones work methodologies of the organizations”. And second, a detail that two and a half years later is still on the table: “Another element that must be considered is the postponement announced by Aena of the airport expansion works.” For all these reasons, and given “these uncertainties“, the report continues, “it would be advisable establish monitoring mechanisms of demand to adjust the deployment of the service if necessary.” That said, no alternative is ruled out.