The INE reveals that the number of journeys in Cercanías has grown by 32% to 46 million journeys and in the trains of Media Distancia by 70% to 3.5 million users
On September 1, one of the key measures of the government’s anti-crisis plan was launched: free subscriptions for travel on Cercanías and Media Distancia trains for returning users. And it was a success, as 394 million journeys on public transport were recorded in September alone, 23% more than in the same month of the previous year, according to data released this Friday by the INE.
In particular, the number of journeys with the Cercanías trains grew by 31.8% to a total of 46.1 million journeys. While medium-haul travel skyrocketed by a whopping 70.2% to add 3.5 million passengers.
Overall, rail transport grew by almost 34% in September compared to data from a year ago, also driven by the liberalization of high-speed trains. The arrival of other operators on the market has reduced the price of tickets to the opened destinations (Barcelona and Valencia for the time being), increasing the use of high speed by 37.8% to 1.85 million passengers in September.
The data shows that the rise in the price of petrol has prompted many Spaniards to switch cars for public transport. Bus and metro trips also have discounts (up to 50% in most cases), increasing their use compared to a year ago. The INE shows that 234 million urban transport journeys were made in September, 21.5% more than in 2021.
137 million journeys were made by bus (including city trams), 19% more than a year ago, with the biggest increases in Castilla-La Mancha (+30%), Murcia (24%) and Madrid (24%). Metro use grew 25.5% to 98.7 million journeys in September, with Palma’s metro up 86%, Seville 36%, Malaga 34%, Barcelona 30%, Madrid 24%, in Valencia 24% and in Bilbao 13%.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
