Spain Launches Free Rail Travel Scheme to Help With Soaring Prices
Under the new scheme, which began on September 1 and will run until December 31, the multi-ticket journeys on the Rodalies and Cercanías trains as well as regional journeys shorter than 300 kilometres on the trains of Media Distancia will be without charge, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
“The new passes are useful to help the pockets of the middle and working classes and to recover public transport as a more sustainable alternative for daily mobility. I encourage citizens to join this historic measure promoted by the progressive government,” the Minister of Development of Spain Raquel Sánchez wrote on her official Twitter account.
Even though this scheme is designed to help Spanish commuters cope with the soaring cost of living, it will also benefit leisure travellers and tourists, the Guardian explains.
The free rail pass can be obtained on the app of the national rail network, Renfe, or at a railway station. It has been explained that the free rail passes will be valid only for short and medium-length journeys, meaning that long-distance journeys and single tickets are not part of the offer.
The Guardian further explains that passengers wishing to obtain a free rail pass must choose a destination and pay a deposit of €10 for suburban lines and €20 for middle-length journeys. After this step is completed, passengers receive a QR code that serves as a ticket.
It has been pointed out that the deposit will be refunded when the scheme is over, provided that the holder has travellers at least 16 times to the chosen destination.
As for visitors, they can obtain a free rail pass by using their passport number. In addition, there are also significant advantages for people that use a city as a base.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the Independent noted that tickets for public transport, including buses, trams, and metros, will cost around 30 per cent less. Moreover, public transport in some regions, such as Catalonia, will be 50 per cent cheaper.
Sánchez said that free transportation will have a very important impact now that the prices are higher than ever.
“Free transportation is going to have a very important impact on the savings of young people and families. Citizens are making use of the measure, and from Atocha, I am following first-hand how everything works normally,” Sánchez said.
In addition, she revealed that almost 100,000 people used the Cercanías Renfe on the first day the scheme started, marking an increase of 50 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.
