In an effort by the Spanish government to fight inflation and the rising cost of living, train journeys of less than 300 kilometers will be available free of charge until the end of the year to the entire population of the country.
Under the initiative, which began on Thursday (01), passengers – both locals and tourists – will be entitled to free travel on local trains and medium-range routes between cities. You must register to get a travel card, which requires a deposit, and is paid for by a government subsidy of €221 million, according to Reuters.
From the first signs, the measure was approved by users. Raquel Sánchez, Spain’s Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, said nearly 100,000 people used the free ticket in Madrid on Thursday morning, 50% more than “on a day like this” in 2019.
“The new passes are useful for helping middle and working class pockets,” she wrote on Twitter. Fares vary across the country, but a single ticket in Madrid costs between €1.70 and €8.70, depending on the distance.
Spain, like many other countries, is struggling with high inflation, which rose to 10.8% in July, the highest level in 38 years. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez largely blamed Russia’s war in Ukraine for the rise in prices.
A similar effort has just been completed in Germany, where the national rail service offered monthly train tickets for €9. The initiative, funded by a government subsidy of 2.5 billion euros, proved popular with passengers and did not lead to overcrowding, as feared, although a quarter of the population bought tickets in the first month.
Both countries touted the initiatives partly as a bailout against the rising cost of living, but also as long-term benefits in combating climate change and reducing dependence on Russian oil. Germany’s government said its program saved nearly 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to The Guardian newspaper.
The Spanish initiative is part of a €9.5 billion package announced in June aimed at helping the population face the rising cost of living. It included €3.6 billion in tax cuts, pension increases and other subsidies and spending, according to Reuters.
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