The arrival of competition to the high-speed railway has given rise to the first major commercial battle these days, with the aim of filling the trains despite being in the low season for the tourism sector. Each of the operators -Avlo (Renfe), Ouigo and Iryo- has launched its own promotional offer, with reduced prices and for time and limited availability to try to retain both the most regular clientele and new passengers who take advantage of the good weather to pay a visit.
Ouigo to Barcelona or Valencia from 9 euros
The first to launch its offer was the French operator Ouigo, which resumed its ‘pink days’ to offer 90% of its tickets on all its routes for less than 20 euros. The promotion was only available on the 10th and 11th of January, but they have decided to extend it one more day, until the 12th, which is currently operating: Barcelona-Tarragona-Zaragoza-Madrid and Valencia-Madrid.
Precisely due to the lower demand and the arrival of the low season, Ouigo has reduced its available frequencies between the capital of Spain and the Turia, offering three daily frequencies in each direction compared to the five granted in the liberalization process. At the moment, its arrival in Andalusia is not planned either, due to the lack of approval of its trains to circulate through the southern corridor.
The available fares of 9, 15 and 19 euros will be used for adult travel, since tickets for children between 4 and 13 will continue to be available at 5 euros, while children under 3 can travel for free if they do it in the arms of an adult. The French operator has been operating since May 2021 on the Madrid-Barcelona line, and after adding the Valencia corridor, it has 4.35 million passengers and an average occupancy rate of over 93%.
Iryo: Tickets to Andalusia for the whole year for 18 euros
Iryo, the only operator with part of the private capital and the last to arrive in the Spanish market, has announced a welcome promotion for 2023 available between January 11 and 29, in which one million flexible tickets will be on sale at 18 euros . The offer allows you to travel throughout the year to all its available destinations: today they already provide service between Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona; and between Valencia, Cuenca and Madrid.
Throughout this 2023 it will expand its network, arriving from March 31 to the Andalusian cities of Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Antequera; while from June 2 trains will also be offered between Madrid, Albacete and Alicante. Recently, the CNMC also authorized the provision of services subsidized by the State between Barcelona and Tarragona, and between Cuenca and Albacete. Iryo stands out for being the only operator that offers flexible tickets that are open to all kinds of changes.
No news in Avlo, with seats from 7 euros
Finally, Avlo, the low-cost brand of the public operator Renfe, maintains the offer of tickets from 7 euros for the Madrid-Valencia and Madrid-Barcelona corridors, as well as other nearby destinations such as Figueres or Girona. Children under 14 years of age can travel for 5 euros if associated with another adult ticket, up to a maximum of two tickets, in addition to having discounts of 20% and 50% for large families.
Regarding their future destinations, arrival in places like Galicia, Alicante, Murcia, Malaga or Seville depends on the commissioning of the new Avril trains manufactured by Talgo, whose delay is conditioning all of Renfe’s train planning.
These promotional offers are a way for rail operators to increase their market share during the off-season, when demand for rail travel is typically lower. They are also an opportunity for travelers to save money on their trips and explore new routes at lower prices.