While most governments have been slow to tackle inflation, Spain has gone full steam ahead with a scheme that makes some train journeys completely free.
The initiative means passengers will be able to hop around Catalonia, immerse themselves in the architectural splendor of Andalusia or explore the museums and restaurants of the Basque Country.
The announcement came on Tuesday as Spain’s Socialist-led coalition government announced that travel on certain parts of the state-run Renfe rail network would be free from September 1 until the end of the year.
This new agreement on Renfe routes is in addition to a policy announced last month in which the central government agreed to a 30% discount on all public transport, including the metro, buses and trams.
100% rail discounts will apply to journeys with multi-journey tickets on cercanías (passenger services) and media distancia or medium distance routes (less than 300 km). The measure is mainly aimed at holders of Spanish season tickets, but tourists can benefit from it if they buy tickets for several journeys.
“I would like the people of Spain to know that I am fully aware of the daily difficulties that most people have,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday. “I know wages are covering less and less and that it’s hard to make it to the end of the month.”
The price reductions are implemented to cushion the impact of inflation and rapidly rising energy prices.
“This measure promotes the use of public transport in order to guarantee a safe, reliable, comfortable, economical and sustainable means of making the daily journey against the background of the exceptional increase in energy and fuel prices,” the Spanish transport ministry said in a statement .
Spain is not the only European country seeking to reduce public transport costs.
In May, Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway company, launched a €9 ticket that gives a full month of travel from June to the end of August. Any two stations in Germany can be linked with the deal, so passengers traveling more than 50 miles can save money on a single journey.
And Austria launched its “Klimaticket” (climate ticket) at the end of 2021. While the morning commute can bite the budget, the ticket offers trips for just €3. Designed to encourage Austrians to give up their cars, the scheme proved hugely popular, with its website almost crashing when tickets went on sale.
The British, meanwhile, continue to be bothered by the impressive ticket prices. In February it was announced that rail fares would rise in England and Wales by an average of 3.8%. Railfuture, an independent organization which aims to reform the railways, has suggested that annual travel costs for commuters will look insurmountable as ticket prices rise.
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