The Generalitat has presented its 2030–2040 rail services plan for Rodalies, the Catalan commuter rail network, and Regionals, with the stated aim of creating a new service map for Catalonia and doubling train use by 2040. For commuters in and around Barcelona, the plan matters because it sets out more frequent services, extensions to existing lines and a target of reaching one million passenger journeys a day across the network.

The announcement was made by territory minister Sílvia Paneque after the Catalan government approved the plan on Tuesday. According to the Generalitat, the document is intended to define how rail services should operate over the next decade, alongside infrastructure already planned or under way.

"The 2030–2040 rail services plan defines the new Rodalies and Regionals network," the Generalitat said in its official statement after the government meeting.

The plan sets out a model based on higher capacity, more direct connections and a broader rail catchment for cities and towns across Catalonia. It also forms part of a wider push by the Catalan government to regain passenger confidence in public transport after repeated disruption on parts of the rail network.

What the plan means for daily passengers

For residents who rely on Rodalies to travel to work, study or medical appointments, the clearest practical change is the promise of more services and a redesigned network. The Generalitat says the plan is meant to respond to expected growth in demand up to 2040 and to improve links between major urban areas, not only routes into Barcelona.

As outlined by the Catalan government, the plan includes these core objectives:

  • to increase rail use across Catalonia to around one million passenger journeys a day by 2040
  • to expand the offer on Rodalies and Regionals services
  • to adapt services to planned infrastructure works and network upgrades
  • to improve direct connections between municipalities and key transport corridors

The official announcement does not itself set out the full final timetable passengers would use from day one. Instead, it establishes the service framework that will guide future network design and implementation as infrastructure and rolling stock become available.

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Longer lines and a broader network

According to the Generalitat's statement, the plan defines a new network for both commuter and regional rail. Reporting by other outlets on the same announcement says the government expects line extensions and a substantial increase in the overall service offer, but the official source remains the Generalitat's approved plan and press briefing.

The Catalan government has linked the new service map to a broader restructuring of rail governance in Catalonia, including the future role of Rodalies de Catalunya. In February 2025, Spain's Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and the Generalitat announced an agreement to create the new company Rodalies de Catalunya, a step the two administrations presented as part of the reform of commuter rail management.

That institutional change matters for passengers because the success of the 2030–2040 services plan will depend not only on political approval, but also on train operations, staffing, infrastructure delivery and coordination between the Generalitat, the Spanish government and rail operators.

What happens next

The plan has now been approved by the Catalan government as the reference framework for future Rodalies and Regionals services. Passengers should continue to check official Rodalies channels and the Generalitat's transport announcements for concrete timetable, route and implementation details as individual measures are developed.

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Primary sources: govern.cat, Source Text Link, transportes.gob.es. Reported by Agencia Europa Press, David Expósito J., Pau Lizana Manuel, rtve.es.