L9 Bus Line Sees Passenger Numbers Triple

The Salt-Girona rapid bus corridor (BRCAT) has recorded a 168.4% rise in demand on line L9 over the past 12 months, according to figures released on Friday 6th November 2026 by the Catalan Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition. In October 2025, the line registered 45,698 validations. By October 2026, that figure had climbed to 122,655. The growth follows a service upgrade that doubled frequency from one bus every 30 minutes to one every 15 minutes. The Department confirmed journey times have decreased and the full BRCAT network is on track to exceed five million trips in its first year of operation.

L9 Set to Outperform Other Key Lines

Line L9-BRT is projected to close 2026 with 1.2 million journeys, surpassing the combined annual totals of lines L4 and L6-16 in 2025. Only line L3, which runs every 10 minutes, currently sees higher demand. The corridor links key urban areas in Girona and Salt, improving access for commuters, students, and local workers. Its success is being attributed to dedicated bus lanes and improved urban integration.

€5.5m Investment Funded by EU

The BRCAT project involved building 3.5km of bidirectional bus lanes, a two-way cycle path, and accessibility and road safety upgrades. It was delivered with a €5.5 million investment from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility. The initiative forms part of the Generalitat’s strategy to decarbonise transport and strengthen public mobility networks.

The data from the first year confirm that the corridor meets a real need of citizens. Investing in public transport improves connectivity, reclaims public space, and contributes to more sustainable cities.

Sílvia Paneque, Minister for Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition, made the statement in a press release from the Generalitat, underscoring the wider urban benefits of the project. The BRCAT network has also been recognised as a best practice by the European eBRT2030 project, coordinated by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), which promotes innovative bus rapid transit solutions.

Sources: CatalunyaPress, Govern de Catalunya, diaricatalunya.cat.