Spain Launches Free Rail Travel Scheme to Help With Soaring Prices

As the cost of living in the nation keeps rising, the Spanish government has introduced a program that provides free rail travel.

Regional trips less than 300 kilometers on the Half Distance trains as well as multi-ticket trips on the Rodalies and Cercanas trains will be free of charge under the new program, which went into effect on September 1 and will last until December 31.

“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.

Although this program is intended to assist Spanish commuters deal with the country’s soaring cost of living, it will also be helpful to leisure travellers and visitors, The Guardian says.

The free rail pass may be purchased at a train station or through the Renfe app, the country’s rail network. It has been clarified that the complimentary train passes are only good for short and medium-distance trips; single tickets and long-distance trips are not included in the promotion.

The Guardian goes on to say that customers who want a free train pass must select a destination and put down a deposit of either €10 for local lines or €20 for middle-distance trips. Passengers are given a QR code that serves as their ticket once this stage is finished.

When the program is complete, the deposit will be returned, it has been noted, provided that the account holder has traveled at least 16 times to the desired location.

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.

Thanks to Schengevisainfo.com for providing this useful information