Sharp Improvement in Accessibility

Renfe has restored 95% of escalators and 85% of lifts across Catalonia’s Rodalies stations, reversing a 2025 crisis in which only about half of the systems were operational. The regional government and Renfe described the earlier situation as "absolutely unsustainable, undesirable and inadmissible", with only 51% of lifts and just under 50% of escalators working between February and April 2025.

New Contractor Delivers Rapid Gains

In February 2025, Renfe awarded a new four-year maintenance contract worth €8.5 million to TKE Elevadores España SLU, replacing Schindler, the previous contractor. According to the Ministry of Territory, Schindler had left many installations in a state of evident degradation, prompting repeated complaints and formal penalties exceeding €233,000 for contractual breaches. TKE requested an initial six-month period to assess system deficiencies before full deployment. Despite temporary delays, performance improved significantly. By January 2026, lift availability reached 85%, and escalator functionality rose to 92% by November 2025, peaking at 96.3% in mid-2026 according to Barcelona Press.

Ongoing Modernisation Efforts

Under the new contract, €4.5 million is allocated for modernisation, with 90 lifts and over 40 escalators scheduled for upgrade. The initiative aims to improve accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, parents with strollers and elderly travellers.

The situation was absolutely unsustainable, undesirable and inadmissible.

, Sílvia Paneque, Minister of Territory Despite progress, officials acknowledge further improvements are needed. Paneque attributed the prior failures to "a certain neglect" by the former contractor and confirmed that TKE has surpassed initial recovery expectations. Renfe has filed claims against Schindler for accumulated damages, while Schindler has launched a counterclaim challenging the new tender process.

Reported by Jordi Cubarsi, Natàlia Vila, Europa Press, Arnau Ruiz, Redacció, europapress.es, César Martínez, beteve.cat.