Renfe removes longtime Catalonia spokesperson Antonio Carmona amid Rodalies restructuring

Renfe, Spain's state railway operator, has dismissed Antonio Carmona, who for almost two decades served as its public face in Catalonia. The decision was taken by the newly appointed operational director and CEO of the joint venture Rodalies de Catalunya, Óscar Playà, with the backing of Renfe president Álvaro Fernández Heredia. Carmona, previously director of Rodalies, had been moved to head institutional relations after being removed from the director role in July 2023. The move follows a series of service disruptions, notably the Gelida accident and the Vallbona sinkhole that halted traffic for five days. Playà, who has overseen the Rodalies operation for about seven months, is pursuing a lower‑profile organisational restructuring and has not yet filled a full management team. Carmona will shift to a commercial‑services position with reduced public exposure.