Detall

Seminari d'Estudiants del Doctorat en Història Econòmica

Adrián Cabezas (Universitat de Barcelona), La situación de las compañías ferroviarias en Cataluña durante la II República

Directors: Dr. Marc Prat (UB) i Dr. Javier San Julián (UB)

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the situation of the different railway companies that operated in Catalonia during the period of the Second Republic (1931-1936). Although it is true that the period in particular was quite convulsed due to the political uncertainty of the moment, the root problem came from the end of the First World War and from what became known as the Railway Problem, which was never really solved. The Republican era, with the different changes of government that took place, ended up influencing the railway policy carried out during this period, since none of the four railway bills presented were approved and the way of financing was changed. In this way, the railway companies obtained an increase in rates or a large increase in expenditures from the State Budget; but nevertheless, it was not invested in the construction of new lines and fewer resources were allocated from the Railway Fund.

For the large railway companies that operated in Catalonia (Norte and MZA) and by extension also in the rest of Spain, the Republican railway policy did not help their already delicate situation, and between 1932 and 1935 especially, their financial profitability as well as their profits. gave negative results. Other important companies operating in Spain suffered an even worse situation, such as Oeste and Andaluces, where their expenses exceeded their income, even Andaluces being seized by the Republican government in 1936.

As for the different companies that operated in Catalonia, known as carrilets, their situation was not much better either. With the exception of some of them, such as the rack railway from Barcelona to Monistrol de Montserrat, or the Ferrocarriles Catalanes Vallès line, the vast majority of carrilets had disastrous economic results during the years of the Second Republic, where expenses exceeded costs. income, giving rise to cases of serious losses such as the case of the carrilet from Mollerussa to Balaguer, or even the suspension of passenger service on the carrilet of Baix Empordà. In this way, the situation of the different railway companies in Catalonia could not bode well just before the start of the Civil War.

Hora: 14:30 hores
Lloc: Híbrid. Aula 2019 (Edifici 696), Facultat d'Economia i Empresa i on line en aquest enllaç.