The system, which came into force on September 1, has already enabled 1.5 million people to obtain a free rail pass.
Article written by
Published
Reading time : 1 min.
The Spanish government announced on Tuesday (October 4th) that it would extend its free rail passes for regional and commuter trains in 2023, initially planned until the end of December, to continue to support purchasing power in the face of soaring prices. . This system, which entered into force on September 1, “will be maintained next year”Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero announced at a press conference, stating that she had planned an envelope of “700 million” euros for its financing.
This will allow “a significant saving for families”which will continue to be protected “in the face of inflation”and will encourage the development of a “sustainable mobility”, insisted the ministry in a press release. According to Renfe, the Spanish railway company, 1.5 million people have obtained a free rail pass since the operation was launched in early September.
This figure shows that this device “works”underlined the Minister of Transport Raquel Sanchez, saying that she is aiming for a target of two million free passes by the end of 2022. This measure, which aims to encourage Spaniards to take public transport instead of their car, concerns all local trains in large cities, such as Madrid, Seville or Barcelona, as well as medium-distance trains.