Agreement to implement the Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real rural bus service

The Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha publishes in issue 174, dated September 10, 2026, the resolution of the General Secretariat of the Regional Ministry of Public Works (Consejería de Fomento) providing public notice of the collaboration agreement signed with the City Council of Carrión de Calatrava to implement the public regular passenger bus transport service VCM-643 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real. The agreement, signed in Toledo on September 1, 2026, is recorded in official document 2026/6478.

The agreement responds to the municipality’s historical demand to improve the mobility of its residents toward regional reference centers, encouraging the use of collective transport over private vehicles. This is a low-traffic line whose revenues do not offset the operating costs; therefore, both administrations assume the financing of the deficit to guarantee the economic balance of the service.

A service co-financed at 50%

The economic report incorporated into the agreement sets an annual operating cost of 68,078.53 euros, compared to estimated revenues of 3,880.70 euros, resulting in an annual deficit to be compensated of 64,197.83 euros. This amount is split equally between the two signing administrations:

• Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha: 32,098.92 euros annually (budget item 17040000G/513C/47532).
• City Council of Carrión de Calatrava: 32,098.91 euros annually (budget item 441-450).

The total budget for the service, distributed by annual installments, amounts to 128,395.66 euros, with the following breakdown: 16,049.46 euros in 2026, 64,197.83 euros in 2027, and 48,148.37 euros in 2028. The concession contract is planned with a maximum execution period of twenty-four months, extendable for another twelve.

Routes and stops to Ciudad Real

The service, which is expected to begin on July 28, 2026, includes 1,098 annual trips over a distance of 14,386.20 kilometers, with a cost per kilometer of 4.73 euros. Annex II of the agreement details five routes connecting the municipality with the provincial capital:

• Route 1.1 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real (outbound), 12.90 km.
• Route 1.2 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real direct (outbound), 10.40 km.
• Route 1.3 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real (return), 12.90 km.
• Route 1.4 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real return via institutes, 16.30 km.
• Route 1.5 Carrión de Calatrava-Ciudad Real direct (return), 10.40 km.

The stops in Ciudad Real are located at the main points of attraction: the University, the General Hospital, and the Bus Station. Traffic between the urban stops of the municipality of Ciudad Real is prohibited, as this will be handled by the local urban transport.

Legal framework and monitoring

The agreement is based on Law 14/2005, of December 29, on the Regulation of Road Passenger Transport in Castilla-La Mancha, and on Law 7/1985, of April 2, on the Bases of the Local Regime, and is published in compliance with Decree 315/2007, which regulates the General Registry of Agreements. The procurement file was initiated by a resolution of the Directorate General of Transport and Mobility on June 23, 2026, and the service will be provided by the operator that is awarded the contract.

The Technical Monitoring Commission, composed of representatives from the City Council and the Regional Ministry, will meet at least once a year to monitor the evolution of the service and the volume of passengers transported. The agreement, signed by the regional minister Ignacio Hernando Serrano and the mayor Dionisio Moreno Antequera, guarantees the connection of a rural municipality with the essential services of the capital, contributing to territorial cohesion and the decongestion of traffic in the province of Ciudad Real.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 174, September 10, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), pp. 31737-31745 (official reference: 2026/6478).