Fomento and Trijueque provide 50% funding for the rural bus to Guadalajara

The Regional Ministry of Development of Castilla-La Mancha and the Trijueque City Council (Guadalajara) have signed a collaboration agreement to improve the public transport service on concession VCM-596 El Pedregal-Molina de Aragón-Guadalajara, with a joint contribution of 38,892.87 euros. The agreement, signed in Toledo on September 23, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 190, dated October 2, 2026, via the Resolution of 09/25/2026, of the General Secretariat (reference 2026/6988).

A 50% agreement for a deficit line

The publication is carried out in compliance with Article 7.1 of Decree 315/2007, of December 27, which regulates the General Registry of Agreements of the Administration of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. The text is supported by Law 14/2005, of December 29, on the Regulation of Road Passenger Transport in Castilla-La Mancha, and Article 57 of the Law of Bases of the Local Regime, which enables economic cooperation between local and regional administrations.

The agreement responds to a historical demand from the municipality and is justified because these are low-traffic lines where revenues do not offset operating costs. The economic report included as an annex estimates the annual cost of the service at 53,493.22 euros, compared to estimated revenues of 9,792.36 euros for an average of five passengers per trip. The resulting base budget is 43,700.86 euros, which, applying the award coefficient of the initial contract (0.889979492), is set at 38,892.87 euros.

The funding distribution is equal:

• Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha: 50%, 19,446.44 euros (item 17040000G/513C/47532).
• Trijueque City Council: 50%, 19,446.43 euros (item 4411-45000).
• 2026 annuity: 19,446.44 euros; 2027 annuity: 19,446.43 euros.

The ASTRA 1 route: four stops and three daily trips

The object of the agreement is Amendment No. 1 of the concession contract, the processing of which was initiated by the General Directorate of Transport and Mobility by resolution of September 11, 2026. The modification adds 22,106.40 kilometers and 732 trips to the planned period, which requires the assignment of one additional bus and 1.5 additional drivers, valued using updated prices from the Passenger Transport Cost Observatory for Coaches (ACOTRAVI) from April 2026.

The enabled route, named ASTRA 1, covers 30.20 kilometers in 35 minutes and has four stops:

• Shelter GU-029, N-II Highway, km 82, access to La Beltraneja.
• Trijueque, El Mirador del Cid Urbanization.
• Shelter GU-038, N-II Highway, km 78, access to Trijueque.
• Guadalajara, Bus Station.

The scheduled times, from Monday to Friday, consist of three outbound trips (7:00, 10:00, and 17:00) and three return trips (8:00, 15:30, and 19:00). The maximum fare is set at 0.088593 euros per traveler per kilometer, with a minimum ticket price of 1.50 euros including VAT.

Monitoring, validity, and service control

The agreement creates a technical monitoring commission composed of the delegated councilor responsible for Transport of the Trijueque City Council and, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Works, the head of the General Directorate of Transport and Mobility and a designated technical official. The commission will meet at least once a year.

The validity of the agreement extends until the end of the concession contract, with a maximum execution period of six months and a scheduled end date of March 27, 2027, coinciding with the end of the extension of the main contract. Services were to begin on September 28, 2026. The Trijueque City Council assumes no financial responsibility beyond funding, nor administrative responsibility for the actual provision of the service, the inspection of which corresponds to the Ministry of Public Works.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Public Works, Ignacio Hernando Serrano, and the mayor-president of Trijueque, Javier Vela Valderas, and the publication resolution bears the signature of the secretary general, Daniel Corredor Román.

The relevance of this agreement lies in the fact that it guarantees the continuity and expansion of a bus service that connects the residents of Trijueque with the provincial capital, where the main health, educational, and administrative services are concentrated. As it is a deficit line, public co-financing is essential to maintain collective transport in rural areas and offer an alternative to private vehicles.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 190, October 2, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), pp. 33749-33757 (official reference: 2026/6988).