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It seemed inconceivable but we had been living with it for almost four years. Yes, Renfe trains circulate on the Spanish railways. The Order arrived from Europe and Spain complied with a guideline that has opened the door to Ouigo and Iro. A door that, for Renfe, seems to be stuck in France.
What happened for Renfe to be studying his departure from the neighboring country?
A liberalization. It arrived in 2021. First Renfe had to face the competition with Ouigo. Shortly after it was Iro. And when we wanted to realize, in the Spanish roads these three companies are competing in high speed by some clients that, if we add Avlo, have four options on top of the table.
Liberalization came ordered from the European Union. From Brussels it was voted in favor of opening the railroads and that any company could operate on the roads of the entire continent. A liberalization that has its peculiarities because the demands in terms of security and approval to meet the protocols follow in the hands of the authorities of each country.
You don’t pass here. The latter is especially important and we have seen it in Spain. For example, When Ouigo wanted to get to Andalusia has had to adapt its trains to the protocols of the LZB systemsince they do not resemble those of the rest of the continent. When the Madrid-Seville line was created for the 1992 Expo, it was decided to use said system that would later fall into disuse and failed to impose itself on Erts that we see in the rest of Europe.
These types of regulations, in addition to the payment of a fee for the maintenance of the roads and other services to ADIF are those that have put on a war footing to Ouigo and the Government. The first when pointing out that Adif charges excessive rates for the service they offer. The second because they ensure that Ouigo throws prices Below the market.
What do we have? High speed with four operators and the lowest prices than ever. Where The competition has been greaterprices have dropped. They have not dropped where the demand is very high (such as the Madrid-Barcelona corridor) but in lines where you have to fight more to catch customers as in the Andalusian runners or in Madrid-Aliante where the supply was not extended until 2023.
In your latest reportthe CNMC pointed out that the volume of passengers has not stopped increasing. Where new options have been opened have generated a greater number of journeys and a price drop until reaching more than 10 million passengers in the third quarter of 2024.
A conflict. In this context Renfe has proposed to open new lines in France. Taking advantage of liberalization, the Spanish company has wanted make Ouigo competition In his own home. The movement began with controversy, with Renfe selling Nine euros tickets.
In Spain, Ouigo defended himself saying that they were in a launch phase and that they expect be profitable this year. The promise is about to be fulfilled while SNCF, owner of Ouigo, has already put its conditions to enter to compete in the market of Cercanías y Medio Distancethe other great liberalization that we have ahead.
The fight for the really interesting. Ouigo in Spain is competing in the big runners for lament of Óscar PuenteMinister of Transport, which indicated that these companies can focus on profitability While Renfe also has to Fulfill your public service position. Ouigo does compete in Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Sevilla or Madrid-Aliante, for example.
And in those same conditions he wants to play Renfe in France. At the moment, the company operates in the Lyon-Barcelona and Lyon-Marsella runners but the great yearning is still to reach Paris. The capital is especially juicy because most of the great French lines leave from there and could join Madrid and Paris in a single corridor.
And here is the great conflict.
You don’t pass here (2). Renfe a The avant -garde that France is doing everything possible to torpedo the expansion of the company on its way to Paris. The first intention was to reach Paris before the Olympic Games last summer but it was not possible. And the technical approval still does not get what he is doing to the company to rethink if they must move on.
They explain that the problem is in the technical approval of trains. The approval of them usually takes about six months of work but at this time they are already going for three years. Coincidentally, the approval to operate in the Barcelona-Tooulouse corridor as of April 2025 is ready. Renfe is, for the moment, notice in the southern and southeast zone of France.
And according to the company, the project does not paint well. To the point of Paloma Baena, general director of Renfe Operadora Global Strategy, demanded in the French Senate A few weeks ago equal conditions in the deal and pointed out that they did not expect to function normally until 2029 if everything followed.
The excuse. What they say from France is that the trains that Renfe has presented to operate in the lines that have Paris as origin or destination are incompatible with the technology of their tracks.
First tried with trains 100F series of ALSTOM which are those operating in the south of the country. After rejection, he has tried with the Talgo 106 Series with which Renfe operates in Spain.
And, in addition, François Durovray, already former Minister of Transportation in France, also pointed out that he wanted to force companies to enter the country Operate in deficit lines. Exactly the type of runners where Ouigo does not operate in Spain and what Oscar Puente Moles ago lamented.
Photo | Xataka
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