Plans to reintroduce semi-direct Rodalies trains between Manresa and Barcelona by 2030–2040 will deliver slower journey times than the service previously in operation, despite cutting current travel times by nine minutes.

According to the Government of Catalonia’s rail transport plan, the proposed semi-direct services will link Manresa and Sant Vicenç de Castellet with Barcelona, stopping only at Terrassa and Sabadell. The initiative is part of the broader Pla de Rodalies 2026–2030, presented by the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, which aims to modernise and expand regional rail capacity.

Current journey times from Manresa to Plaça Catalunya in central Barcelona range from 1 hour 18 minutes to 1 hour 22 minutes. The new service is expected to reduce this by nine minutes, meaning travel will still exceed one hour. If measured to Estació de la Sagrera, two stops earlier, the fastest current journey takes 1 hour 9 minutes, suggesting the new service could reach exactly one hour on that stretch.

However, this would still be slower than the previous semi-direct service, which ran from 2014 to early 2022. During that period, trains reached Plaça Catalunya in 63 to 64 minutes and Estació de la Sagrera in as little as 56 minutes, under the hour.

Long Wait for Improved Service

The reintroduction of the service is scheduled for some point between 2030 and 2040, as confirmed by government sources. The delay reflects long-term infrastructure planning and investment timelines, including ongoing efforts to improve reliability and capacity across the 1,100-kilometre Rodalies network, which serves 201 stations and carries around 400,000 passengers daily.

The Pla de Rodalies 2026–2030 is the most concrete and ambitious response Rodalies has ever had to address the disinvestment it has suffered.

Sílvia Paneque, Minister for Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, described the plan as a “commitment in the form of tangible resources”, noting that while progress since 2020 has been insufficient, it shows a clear intent to modernise a system that has “proven weak and outdated for decades”.

The plan includes an increase of 26% in funding compared to the previous cycle, with over €8,000 million allocated to maintenance, service operations, and infrastructure upgrades.

Primary sources: govern.cat, renfe.com. Reported by elperiodico.cat, es.mytrainpal.com, El Periódico (CA).