Renfe and Adif appoint new presidents: Gutiérrez Carrizo and Hortalà Vallvé

The Government has resolved the leadership transition of the Spanish public railway system. The Council of Ministers, meeting on November 13, 2026, dismissed Álvaro Fernández Heredia as president of the RENFE-Operadora Public Business Entity and appointed Inmaculada Gutiérrez Carrizo in his place, while placing Joaquim Hortalà Vallvé at the head of the Railway Infrastructure Manager Public Business Entity (Adif). The three moves are formalized in royal decrees from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) no. 284, of November 14, 2026, section II.A.

Three royal decrees and a single origin

The decisions appear sequentially in the appointments and dismissals section of the gazette, all dated November 13, 2026, and all adopted following deliberation by the Council of Ministers:

• Royal Decree 997/2026, of November 13: dismissal of Álvaro Fernández Heredia as president of RENFE-Operadora, “thanking him for the services rendered” (ref. BOE-A-2026-23832, p. 153415).
• Royal Decree 999/2026, of November 13: appointment of Joaquim Hortalà Vallvé as president of Adif (ref. BOE-A-2026-23834, p. 153417).
• Royal Decree 1000/2026, of November 13: appointment of Inmaculada Gutiérrez Carrizo as president of RENFE-Operadora (ref. BOE-A-2026-23835, p. 153418).

The three decrees are signed by King Felipe VI and countersigned by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, acting by substitution by virtue of Royal Decree 975/2026, of November 4: the signature corresponds to the First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, Carlos Cuerpo Caballero.

Renfe: from Fernández Heredia to Gutiérrez Carrizo

The dismissal of Álvaro Fernández Heredia closes a stage that began on January 14, 2025, when he was appointed to the same position via Royal Decree 30/2025, of January 14 (ref. BOE-A-2025-611). The decree published now does not state reasons nor include additional motivation: it limits itself to ordering the dismissal with the protocolary thanks for the services rendered.

The replacement falls to Inmaculada Gutiérrez Carrizo, who takes over the presidency of the RENFE-Operadora Public Business Entity, the public operator of passenger and freight rail transport. The appointment was approved upon the proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and with the same deliberation of the Council of Ministers on November 13.

Adif: a transition that began on November 10

The change at Adif, the railway infrastructure manager, was preceded by another decree published three days earlier in the BOE: Royal Decree 992/2026, of November 10, ordered the dismissal of Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña as president of the entity (ref. BOE-A-2026-23609, BOE no. 281, of November 11, 2026). Marco de la Peña had been appointed to the position by Royal Decree 936/2024, of September 17 (ref. BOE-A-2024-18641).

The vacancy is now filled by Joaquim Hortalà Vallvé, according to Royal Decree 999/2026. With this move, the two major entities of the state railway sector now have presidents appointed in the same meeting of the Council of Ministers, which reinforces the interpretation of a coordinated handover in the department that directs railway policy.

Change also in the Ministry’s Cabinet

The package of appointments from November 13 is completed with the designation of Jorge Fabra Portela as Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, through Royal Decree 998/2026, of November 13 (ref. BOE-A-2026-23833, p. 153416). This appointment comes after Royal Decree 991/2026, of November 10, declared the dismissal of Encarnación Sandonis Rodríguez as director of the Minister’s Cabinet (ref. BOE-A-2026-23608, BOE no. 281, of November 11, 2026).

Altogether, the BOE of November 14, 2026, publishes four royal decrees from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility: one dismissal at Renfe, one appointment at Adif, another at Renfe, and the handover in the ministerial Cabinet.

The relevance of the change is direct for users: Renfe and Adif are the two pillars upon which the operation and maintenance of the railway network of general interest rest, so the new leadership assumes the ordinary management of the service and infrastructure with the calendar and obligations already in effect. The decrees do not include railway policy instructions or action deadlines, so the concrete content of the handover must be defined in the daily management of both entities.

Source: Official State Gazette (BOE), no. 284, November 14, 2026, Sec. II.A. Authorities and personnel, pp. 153415-153418 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-23832, BOE-A-2026-23834 and BOE-A-2026-23835).