Proposed 2030–2040 Service Falls Short of 2014 Standards
Ramon Bacardit, head of Junts per Manresa, has denounced the Generalitat’s plans to reintroduce semi-direct Rodalies trains between Manresa and Barcelona from 2030 to 2040 as inadequate. The proposed service would cut current journey times by only nine minutes, leaving travel durations still longer than the 63- to 64-minute connections that operated until 2022 and were in place as recently as 2014. Under the current Rodalies timetable, services from Manresa to L'Hospitalet de Llobregat take at least 84 minutes, according to official schedules published on rodalies.gencat.cat. The semi-direct trains introduced in January 2014 achieved significantly faster travel, but were discontinued in early 2022. The Generalitat's new plan does not restore those speeds.
'Taking the Micky' Out of Commuters, Says Bacardit
“It’s absolutely unacceptable that the government wants to sell us a great achievement when in ten or fifteen years we’ll have worse trains than in 2014. This isn’t progress, it’s taking the micky out of Manresans.”
Bacardit accused the regional government, led by President Salvador Illa, of exploiting what he sees as weak municipal leadership under Manresa mayor Marc Aloy. He claimed the administration in Barcelona knows it can offer substandard solutions without facing strong resistance from the city’s local government. The criticism extends beyond rail services. Bacardit also pointed to the July 2025 announcement on the C-55 dual-carriageway project between Manresa and Sant Vicenç de Castellet, which is tied to the planned removal of the current 100% toll discount on the C-16 motorway for compulsory mobility users. That measure, currently in force, supports thousands of daily commuters.
Infrastructure Promises Under Scrutiny
Junts argues that both the rail and road proposals represent piecemeal solutions that fail to deliver the comprehensive transport upgrade long demanded by the Bages region. The group says the Generalitat’s approach undermines years of local advocacy for integrated infrastructure improvements linking Manresa firmly to the metropolitan area. While the Generalitat has promoted other mobility initiatives, such as a 75% toll discount for electric vehicles on C-16 and other state-owned motorways until 31 December 2027 under its Electric Vehicle Promotion Plan 2025–2030, Bacardit insists these do not compensate for the lack of progress on core connectivity. Commuters from Manresa continue to rely on indirect, slow services with multiple stops, despite repeated promises of improved access to Barcelona’s economic and administrative hub.
Primary sources: Generalitat de Catalunya, rodalies.gencat.cat. Reported by regio7.cat, Regió 7.
