The arrival in València of 41 Civia trains from Series 465 to reinforce the Cercanías has opened a new political battle between the Government of Spain and the Valencian parties. PP, Vox, and Compromís have agreed in questioning the Ministry of Transport presenting the incorporation of units that have already served for years in Madrid as a modernization of the Valencian network. The PSPV, on the other hand, asks not to “exaggerate” and defends that the trains are “in perfect working condition.”
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The Ministry’s announcement contemplates progressively replacing the 34 trains of Series 447 and the seven of Series 464 currently operating on lines C-1, C-2, and C-6 with these 41 Civia units. The goal is to increase the capacity of the electrified lines in the València core by 30 percent, with trains of greater capacity and more modern than those currently running.
The Government defends that these units are refurbished and in perfect condition
The political problem lies in the word “modernization.” The Civia 465 are not new trains. They were manufactured between 2003 and 2012, and some of the units arriving in València have accumulated between 14 and 23 years of service, mainly in Madrid. For the PP, these are “second-hand trains” that the Government tries to sell as “great solutions” for Cercanías, which have been suffering from delays, breakdowns, and cancellations for years.
The popular spokesman, Nando Pastor, has accused Minister Óscar Puente of considering the Valencian Community a “second-class” region and has demanded the execution of the Cercanías Plan. In the same vein, Vox has called the operation a “mockery” and a “joke” for Valencians.
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Compromís has introduced a different nuance. Paula Espinosa considers the arrival of more trains positive and recognizes that increasing capacity is an “immediate urgency,” but warns that one cannot “confuse a temporary solution with the modernization that Valencian Cercanías need.” The coalition demands more investment, frequencies, electrification, and solutions for the structural deficiencies of the network. Additionally, it has asked the Government why used trains from Madrid were chosen instead of newly manufactured units.
The PSPV responds that the important thing is that users will have better trains than the current ones. Its spokesman, José Muñoz, maintains that the units are “in perfect working condition” and that they will improve the situation “compared to yesterday.” He has also reminded the PP that during Mariano Rajoy’s seven years in government, “zero trains” were purchased for the Community.
And there probably lies the key to the debate. No one seems to dispute that Valencian Cercanías need more capacity and better trains. The discussion is whether the transfer of used units constitutes a sufficient solution or merely a patch. The Civia can no longer carry more passengers and will allow a 30 percent increase in the capacity of the affected lines, but they alone do not solve the deficiencies of a network that, according to these parties, needs investments in infrastructure, electrification, frequencies, and reliability.
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