National report Spain – June 2014

Positive points for public transport in our country:

1. The Catalan Government decided to create the Suburban trains network in the surrounding areas of Tarragona (300.000 inhabitants) and Girona (100.000 inh). This is and old claim of PTP. The offer is not quite impressive but indeed it is a first step.
2. Renfe and SNCF have announced a fourth daily train for this summer between Barcelona and Paris. The poor supply between Barcelona and France in the rest of destinations is maintained. Prices remain too highs.
3. Overlooking the entry of private operators in the main rail HSL corridors, RENFE has created a subsidiary company to rent the  leftover trains.
4. The rail share of internal interurban trips in Spain is continuing to rise due to the drop in rail fairs.  Nonetheless, the relation between rail and aerial Italian trips is 3 times higher than in Spain.

Negative points for public transport in our country

1. Despite the serious financial and tax crisis Spain is moving forward in its purpose of constructing rail High Sped Lines even though the forecast of passenger in such lines is quite low. According with the government announce, in 2015 1.000 km of new high speed rail lines will be opened. Cities like a Palencia, León, Murcia, Granada, Vigo, Zamora, Salamanca, Castelló, Cádiz, Elche or Burgos will be joined to the HST scheme.