Amid the rising inflation in the country, the Spanish government has announced free travel on trains for a limited distance from September. Passengers will be allowed to hop on trains across the country, and it will cost absolutely nothing for both tourists and locals.
According to CNN, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that multi-journey tickets for trains operated by the network’s public services CercanÃas, Rodalies and Media Distance will be free of charge from September 1 until the end of the year. The free travel will be available for local and medium distance journeys.
The step has been taken to encourage the maximum use of public transport to guarantee the needed daily commute through a safe, reliable, comfortable, economic and sustainable means of transportation, according to a Transport Ministry statement. The decision of the government comes amid spiraling energy and fuel prices in the country.
However, the program is not available for single-journey commuter trains, the trains operated by private companies or long-distance routes.
Though the program does apply to multi-trip journeys on commuter trains or mid-distance routes, it does cover the popular tourist destinations of the country. It is good news for the travellers planning to visit Spain towards the end of the year. The free journeys, covering tourist destinations, include Leon to Madrid, Granada to Malaga, Córdoba to Seville, Madrid to Toledo, Barcelona to Tarragona, A Coruña to Santiago, and Valencia to Requena Utiel. These soon-to-be free train journeys for the four months are under 20 euros depending on the distance.
This measure is an addition to the previously announced discounts by the Spanish government. In June, the government allowed up to 30 to 50 percent discount on all public transport systems including trams, buses and metros.
Spain is not the only European country to cut down the public transportation cost this year. In May, Deutsche Bahn, the National Railways of Germany also announced a nine Euro a month ticket program. The policy can be used by the commuters on local or regional trains till the end of August.
