It is no secret that getting on a Rodalies train can be an adventure. But the transfer of management to the Generalitat, which should begin to put things in order, is generating an unexpected earthquake in the workforce: a massive flight of train drivers.
The problem is simple: if there is no one to drive the trains, it doesn’t matter who manages the service. Faced with this situation, the Generalitat has made a move and has launched a shock plan: a large subsidy for anyone who wants to obtain a train driver’s license.
The railway “scholarship”: up to 50% of an expensive course
Let’s be clear: being a train driver is cool, but the training costs an arm and a leg. The complete course to obtain the license and the diploma easily exceeds 21,000 euros, according to the rates of the Renfe school and other training centers.
This is where the Govern’s move comes in. As advanced by RAC1 and confirmed by the Department of Territory,a new line of aid will be launched to cover up to 50% of the tuition. Making quick numbers, we are talking about a direct aid that can exceed 10,000 euros.
Why such a hurry? Fear of transfer
This generosity has an explanation. The transfer of Rodalies is causing a climate of labor nervousness. It turns out that more than 75% of Renfe’s train drivers in Catalonia are from abroad.
The crux of the matter is that many of these workers fear that, once the service depends on the Generalitat, they will lose their job mobility within Renfe and become “trapped” in Catalonia, unable to request transfers back to their places of origin.
This “neguit” (concern) is real: according to information from RAC1, this year alone more than 450 Rodalies train drivers have formally requested a transfer to go to other parts of Spain. Although not all requests can be approved (there are not so many vacancies outside), the figure shows the magnitude of the problem.
The small print: the requirements for the aid
As expected, the Generalitat is not going to hand out 10,000 euro bills without making a commitment. The regulatory bases that have already been published demand that future “home-grown” train drivers be tied up tight.
If you are thinking of applying, this is what they are going to ask of you:
- Be registered in Catalonia for at least the last three years.
- Make a commitment to apply for a place in Catalonia in future calls for applications.
- Commit to working in the Catalan railway service for a minimum of four years.
Warning to navigators: If you accept the subsidy and then decide not to comply, you will have to pay back every penny.
This measure is added to the already announced creation of the Centre de la Formació Ferroviària de Catalunya in Vilanova i la Geltrú, an effort of the Generalitat to avoid depending on external personnel and to train the technicians and drivers that the “new era” of Rodalies will need.