Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday that all public transport on short and medium-distance trains will be operated free of charge to the public for the last four months of 2022. All commuter trains and mid-distance regional lines covering journeys of less than 300km run by Renfe, the national rail operator, will be free from September through the end of December. The program applies only to multi-trip tickets, not to single, one-way fares. Multi-journey trips include a minimum of 10 round-trip tickets. In June, Renfe had already introduced a 50% reduction in fares.
The reduction in fares is a national response to the rising cost of living in Spain and other countries worldwide. Earlier this year, Germany introduced a similar program from June to August allowing for unlimited regional services for only €9 a month.
Funding for the 100% discount program is the result of a windfall profit tax on banks and energy companies in Spain.
