Esquerra Republicana (ERC) has criticised Adif, the Spanish railway infrastructure administrator, for its management of disused railway buildings in Campredó, Terres de l'Ebre. The party is demanding the transfer of these properties to local councils for social use.
Speaking in front of the deteriorated Campredó train station, ERC Senator Jordi Gaseni stated that both PP and PSOE governments have made Adif a business-oriented entity focused on selling land and real estate assets. He said this happens "without any territorial compensation or commitment to the affected municipalities."
Gaseni highlighted the Campredó station as an example, where "Adif prefers to let it deteriorate rather than donate or transfer it at a symbolic price to the Town Council for social use." The senator urged the government to change its approach, arguing that the goal should not be to profit from disused stations, which were paid for with public taxes, but to preserve them. He added that this should not burden local councils wishing to renovate and manage them for community benefit.
Calls for a National Railway Heritage Plan
Gaseni confirmed that the Senate is awaiting debate on a motion he presented in December. This motion demands the Spanish government conserve, immediately maintain, and transfer the Campredó station to the Town Council for a symbolic price of €1. It also calls on the Ministry of Transport to draft and approve a national plan for railway heritage preservation. This plan would establish clear criteria for protection, social reuse, and the cession or transfer of disused railway equipment to local councils.
Other examples cited by Gaseni include the greenway stations of Horta de Sant Joan and Arnes-Lledó. The Horta de Sant Joan Town Council currently pays rent for these stations while awaiting Adif's response to acquire and renovate them. Similarly, the Baix Ebre County Council pays a high annual rent for the Benifallet and Aldover stations, in addition to covering maintenance costs. This lease is due for renewal soon.
ERC has also formally questioned the Spanish government about the number of railway properties Adif has sold in the Tarragona province over the last 15 years, including annual figures, municipalities involved, and sale amounts. They also asked about properties auctioned or transferred via agreement. Following what they described as a "generic and insufficient" response from the government, ERC submitted a request for protection to the Senate Bureau due to a lack of specificity and transparency.
Adif's "Speculative" Approach
Gaseni has also requested a meeting with Adif's Heritage and Urban Planning Area Management to press for the transfer of disused railway facilities in Terres de l'Ebre.
Damià Grau, the mayor of Campredó, accused Adif of having "no will to transfer heritage; what they want is to speculate." He claimed that when a building has no public use, Adif wants to "set up a real estate business, they want you to rehabilitate it and pay them rent for 25 years, and then we'll see what happens." Grau stressed that despite the station being an emblematic heritage site and the council's interest in giving it social use, they "cannot mortgage Campredó." He demanded that this heritage be returned to society and community associations at zero cost or for €1.
Grau explained that negotiations with Adif have consistently failed. In 2017, despite positive initial discussions with Adif's president, draft cession agreements and various proposals never materialised. Most recently, the council was offered a 25-year cession, but this required the Town Council to cover the entire €700,000 rehabilitation cost, plus pay a usage rent, which was deemed unfeasible.
