Spanish rail operator Renfe has surpassed the 1.5 million mark for trips made with the new public transport pass, introduced by the Spanish government in January 2026 for public rail and road transport. The pass allows for unlimited travel for 30 days throughout the country using a single ticket.
In the first four months since its launch, the system recorded 1.56 million validations on services operated by Renfe. Most trips were made on Media Distancia trains (medium-distance trains), which accounted for 1.34 million trips. This category also includes the Avant services between Ourense and A Coruña, the Madrid–Salamanca route, the Alicante–Murcia connection on the high-speed network, and the Avant Exprés service between Barcelona and Tortosa. The Cercanías and Rodalies services recorded over 221,000 trips.
The single pass is named, personal, and non-transferable and can be used unlimitedly for 30 days at a rate of EUR 60. Young people under 26 benefit from a discounted version, at 30 EUR, and this category has generated over 67% of the total usage recorded so far. To obtain the youth pass, users must register on the platform of the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
Intermodality between train and bus
The program was designed to facilitate the combined use of rail and road transport. Users who purchase the pass through Renfe receive a code that can be used to book bus trips for free. The same principle applies in reverse for passengers who purchase the pass from bus operators (which provide public transport services) and wish to travel by train as well.
For Media Distancia trains, seat reservations must be made through the Renfe platform using the code associated with the pass, while for the Cercanías networks (suburban and regional networks in Spain) and Rodalies (suburban and regional network in Catalonia), trips can be loaded onto the Renfe&Tú card at ticket machines or station counters.
Spanish authorities have also introduced anti-fraud measures for the use of the pass. It can be blocked if used by someone other than the cardholder, if reservations are not canceled at least 60 minutes before departure, or after three reserved but unused trips. Additionally, the pass may be suspended for what is considered abusive use of the rail or bus services operated under the program.
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