Express rail fares slashed by 40% through increase in competition

HIGH-SPEED rail services between Spain's largest two cities and France have been snapped up by half a million passengers in less than nine months, reveals the transport board.

RENFE launched new routes on its already-popular express AVE line in summer 2023, connecting Barcelona with Lyon and Madrid with Marseille.

Both of these use the same rail link as the existing AVE service between Barcelona and Nîmes.

From all three French destinations, frequent connections run to Paris, meaning it is relatively quick and easy to get to Spain's main metropolitan areas from almost anywhere in France.

Since the new cross-border routes opened, trains have been on average 80% full, RENFE reports.

They run daily in either direction, and the rail board has 'adopted a dynamic price-setting system', it says, meaning tariffs can be easily changed to keep them competitive.

RENFE intends to increase its trans-Pyrénéen lines and become a 'key rail operator' in France, with its next step being to 'multiply its offer fourfold' by putting new trains with greater capacity in service.

Eventually, although sooner rather than later, RENFE plans to link directly to Paris from Spain, and to expand its network of destinations in France from Spain, and within France.

Until three years ago, RENFE was the sole rail operator in Spain, but once the train travel market was opened up to competition, RENFE has had to work harder to make its prices and service quality more attractive.

One of its moves in this direction was the launch of the low-cost version of the AVE, known as the AVLO – just as speedy, but with no frills, reduced luggage allowance, and 'extras' such as reserved seating and on-board WiFi coming at an additional, optional cost.

Two other operators entered the express-rail market in Spain in 2022, both of them budget versions – tbe French transport firm Ouigo, and the multinational Iryo, whose name comes from ir yo or the verb 'to go' followed by 'I'.

The arrival of Ouigo and Iryo has led to high-speed train fares in Spain falling by around 40%, especially on the routes involving the three biggest cities in the country – Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, in that order. 

According to the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC), the typical price of a one-way ticket between Barcelona and Madrid on the express network is now €37, and between Madrid and Valencia, €22 – more than half, but less than two-thirds of the average ticket price for these routes in 2022.

Ouigo's average one-way express tickets between Barcelona and Madrid are currently the cheapest at €37, compared with Iryo's €43 and AVLO's €44, and between Madrid and Valencia, Ouigo and AVLO are jointly cheapest at €22.50, followed by Iryo at €25.

These prices are often discounted through special offers and promotions.

RENFE's main AVE service, which has now become viewed as a more 'luxury' express network after decades of being the only express network, has had to drop its prices drastically to keep up, with fares between Madrid and Barcelona coming down by 20% and between Madrid and Valencia by 23%.

But the pay-off has come in the form of a significant increase in passengers: Since AVE fares fell, the AVLO was launched and Ouigo and Iryo entered the scene, travellers on high-speed rail in Spain have gone up by an average of 29% across all routes offered, moving approximately €8.5 million in ticket sales.

The greatest increases were seen on the Madrid-Alicante line (53%) and the Madrid-Sevilla line (44%), with one-way tickets typically costing €25 and €38 respectively.

RENFE continues to hold the largest market share, ranging from 50% to 76% depending upon routes, times, and seasons, whilst Iryo has around 25% to 30% of the national rail market – except on the link between Alicante and Madrid, given that in mid-September the company decided to only offer the service from Thursdays to Sundays inclusive.

Ouigo's market share is around 21% on the connections from Madrid to Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante and in reverse.

The French operator will be launching express rail links this year between the capital and Valladolid – via Segovia - Murcia, and various destinations in Andalucía.