Ouigo

Alsa has gone ahead of Iryo and Ouigo with a radically different proposal

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Alsa, one of the most important companies in the transportation of passengers (if not the most important) is getting back on the tracks. The company, beyond buses, has a lesser-known business that also goes on wheels but off the road. They are their tourist trains. And now the CNMC gives it the go-ahead to operate yet another service. There is no competition. It’s what the CNMC has concluded about the new Alsa tourist train and the possibility of it competing with Renfe on its new Galician route. For regulators, Alsa’s new business “does not affect the economic balance of Renfe’s public service contract.” It is concluded that although Renfe provides services in the same place or to reach the same locations, both proposals “do not compete with each other” since Alsa trains will only be available in summer and are “between three and seven times more expensive” than Renfe trains. For now, Alsa has indicated in its documentation that the tickets will have a price of 17.28 euros while Renfe public services range between 2.51 euros and 5.40 euros. New historic train. During the summer months, Alsa will put into service a new historic train on two Galician routes that will have the following route: Orense – Barra de Miño – Os Peares – San Estevo de Sil – Canaval – Monforte de Lemos Monforte de Lemos – San Coludio-Quiroga – Montefurado – A Rúa-Petín The train, for which specific schedules and details are not yet known, is known as Galaico Expreso and Alsa Rail, the subsidiary that operates its trains, took it out last April from Galician Railway Museum (Muferga), based in Monforte de Lemos. The train was towed by an Alsa machine to pass the exam in Renfe workshops. They explain in The Voice of Galicia that the material consists of two first-class apartment cars, one with restaurant service and a generator van. This last car is property of the museum and the others were donated by Adif with the condition that they be used for tourist services. The Galaico Express. This train that is being reviewed in the Renfe workshops is, as we have seen, a historic one in our country. At the beginning of the last decade, an attempt was made to resume a tourist service with a walk through the Ribeira Sacra that you can see in this link but its use was discontinued in 2011. In his previous attempt To offer this tourist service, the line only made two stops between Ourense and Monforte de Lemos and had a maximum of 200 passengers. Furthermore, they explain in Vigo Lighthousewas an opportunity to revitalize local tourism since train tickets were sold with additional packs to buy or eat at associated businesses. It’s not the first. By no means is this Galician train the first tourist experience in Spain that takes you back to the past aboard trains operated by Alsa. The company has different offers and packs available with trains of all types for prices starting below 20 euros. This is the case of the one known as Blue Train to link Zaragoza and Logroño through the Ebro valley and the 80’s trainwith which you can travel between Madrid and Cáceres and from Cáceres to Valencia de Alcántara. It also has a round trip train to San Lorenzo del Escorial from Madrid known as the Philip II Train and the Train of the Three Wise Men in Madrid and Zaragoza. Other type of tourism. As we said, these tourist train offers in Spain are affordable and are perfect for spending a day with the family. However, there is another type of tourism that has found a rich source in Spanish historic trains. Specifically, luxury tourism. Probably, The most famous case is that of the Transcantábricowhich departs from Santiago de Compostela to reach San Sebastián (with bus routes) and prices that start above 2,000 euros but can reach 10,000 depending on the room. But the latter is not the only one nor the most expensive. Renfe has its Al-Andalus availablewhich in seven days passes through large Andalusian, Extremaduran and Castilian cities such as Cádiz, Seville, Córdoba, Cáceres and Toledo, before arriving in Madrid. Its price, from 5,000 to 14,000 euros. And also operated by Renfe you can get on the Costa Verde Express or the La Robla Expreso. Of course, prepare thousands of euros. Photo | Muferga In Xataka | The AVE to Galicia has achieved what seemed impossible in a Santiago-Madrid: airlines that throw in the towel

steal talent from Ouigo and Iryo

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Hundreds of train drivers are looking for a position at Renfe. This is to be expected after the company announced the opening of a call to hire 550 new machinists, within its replacement plan and with the aim of expanding its workforce. Although there is no concrete data on the impact on Ouigo and Iryo, previous calls anticipate a flight of workers to the Spanish company. 550 seats. This is the number of train drivers that Renfe expects to hire in the coming months. The call is already underway and is part of a larger employment plan with which it is expected to hire a total of 2,000 workers. The deadline to register ended in March and the process consists of three phases. In the first, it will be verified that the minimum requirements are met and the merits of the candidates will be assessed. The second phase consists of an in-person test and, finally, the third will be a test in a simulator. A flight of train drivers. It is the fear that Ouigo and Iryo can have. Both companies offer higher salaries than Renfe but the stability of a publicly owned company is still very attractive. In fact, it is not the first time that there has been a massive transfer of these companies to the Spanish side. In 2023, Ouigo and Iryo saw how a third of its staff He joined Renfe’s lists, according to the CNMC, after a call to hire new train drivers. This led the regulator to require Renfe to notify of these calls to their rivals a month and a half in advance before making them public and they cannot incorporate new workers into the workforce until three months after the resolution of the process, with the aim that these companies have enough time to replace the possible departure of their machinists. Because? The flight of train drivers is not a question of money. Or, at least, it is not in the short term. And the Spanish company’s machinists earn less starting money than in rival companies, but their future projection does promise more attractive salaries. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that both Ouigo and Iryo can never offer the same stability as Renfe for years to come. And the Spanish company has a greater number of vacancies available throughout the country and, furthermore, it is a public service so You will have to be present no matter what, wherever this obligation binds you.. How much does a machinist earn? As we said, an “entry train driver”, as new train drivers are described, earn less money on Renfe if we talk about base salary. According to the signed agreementa driver starts at 21,973.56 euros to which must be added a supplement of 1,286.64 euros per year for the “driving” concept and another 192.99 euros under the training category. These figures make up a base salary of about 23,500 euros per year to which must be added travel allowances to the place of residence and for minutes worked. Those minutes are paid more expensively the more minutes they have been used. For its part, an Iryo cobra machinistbase, 23,374.78 euros. To this figure we must add a bonus for minutes worked, as in the case of Renfe, or kilometers traveled. If we talk about Ouigothe base salary in this case is 18,000.00 euros and is increased to 21,693.00 euros with two years of seniority, to which bonuses such as days away from home or overtime must be added. It’s not just money. Union representatives point out The Country that the salary differences in favor of the private company (the bonuses are paid better and, therefore, they charge more from the start) are not being sufficient to compete with Renfe since the latter also allows the choice between Medium Distance or Cercanías trains and high-speed trains, so the possibilities within the company are greater. In addition, seniority weighs heavily in the Spanish company, which is why it rises quickly in the salary tables. These improvements due to seniority are reflected in the base salary but, in addition, the bonuses also grow as they add years to the company. So, a level A chief engineer (the highest range) is close to 60,000 euros gross before applying the bonuses for minutes worked. A first (and expensive) filter. Of course, aspiring to be part of the staff of Renfe or any other company in the sector is not easy. Obviously, the new driver must have the required qualifications that are obtained through theoretical and practical tests. But perhaps the biggest filter comes from economic limitations. And the courses to acquire these skills are expensive. The one from Renfe, specifically, It lasts one year and is offered for 21,200 euros. Photo | Andre Marques In Xataka | Iryo already knows what the cost of competing with Renfe on the AVE lines is: losing tens of millions of euros

Renfe has found a new way to make life impossible for Ouigo and Iryo. And it has nothing to do with lowering prices.

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Renfe maintains a hidden war with Ouigo and Iryo. Beyond the headlines and the exchanges of more or less high-sounding statements, the Spanish company and its rivals fight on all types of grounds. Also outside the train tracks and the most obvious sources of business. And here, the use of workshops has a lot to say. What has happened? Renfe has prevented Iryo from using its workshops so that the company can carry out heavy maintenance on its trains. The information is brought The Economist and it states that the Spanish company has rejected Italians’ access to its facilities because they consider that the activity to be carried out there exceeds the obligations they have towards their rivals. In Xataka We have contacted both companies but as of this writing we have not received answers to our questions. The obligations. Although the facilities belong to Renfe, the Spanish company has the obligation to allow access to its workshops at specific points in Spain so that Ouigo and Iryo can carry out their maintenance operations. However, this obligation is limited to light maintenance, known in the sector as “level 1” maintenance. This scale of what falls within “light” or “level 1” maintenance and what are “heavy” or “level 2” maintenance interventions are those that have been questioned by Renfe. The company is clear, Iryo wants to carry out operations of this second category and they are not obliged to give access to their workshops for this type of tasks. The CNMC. Given the denial of access to the workshops, Iryo went to the CNMC to mediate the matter. The National Markets and Competition Commission ruled in March that Renfe had to give Iryo access to its facilities where Hitachi employees would carry out maintenance services on Iryo trains. Although Renfe, Iryo and Hitachi seemed to have reached an agreement for the latter company (manufacturer of Iryo trains) to carry out maintenance at Renfe facilities, the Spanish company indicated that this could not be carried out because heavy maintenance activity related to Renfe trains had skyrocketed and there was no space left for such actions. Given this situation, Iryo requested provisional measures from the CNMC to access “an operational pit at BMI La Sagra or, subsidiarily, at BM Santa Catalina, on a self-provision basis, for the execution of heavy maintenance (R2) of the ETR 1000.” An access that the CNMC decided to give. The reasons. The CNMC pointed out in its resolution that denying Iryo access to the workshops directly damages the business plans that it has for our country since it would force the trains to be taken to Italy to undergo said heavy maintenance. For Renfe, this should not be a problem but the CNMC rejects this position of the Spanish company. Iryo trains approach the mileage limit before passing through workshops for a thorough inspection. When Iryo arrived in Spain, it stated that it would have its own workshops where it would carry out its maintenance. However, this has not occurred. However, the CNMC forces Renfe to provide access to its facilities to carry out these tasks, with the rates that were negotiated in the summer of 2025. Not compliant. In clear rejection of the CNMC’s decision, Renfe requests the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the National Court to stop this decision and asks the CNMC to quarantine the decision until the National Court confirms what measures should be taken. The National Court, however, does not find it serious enough to apply precautionary measures, although it does confirm that it is opening a file to study the matter in depth. With this decision, the CNMC remains firm and once again forces Renfe to make way for Iryo trains in its workshops so that Hitachi workers can carry out scheduled heavy maintenance. It’s not the first time. Although we have talked about Iryo so far, the truth is that Renfe is not the first time that it has denied entry to its workshops to one of its rivals or, at the very least, has put up all possible impediments. In October of last year, the situation was very similar although, on that occasion It was Renfe and Ouigo who led the conflict. The reason was the same, according to Renfe the activity that Ouigo wanted to carry out in his workshops exceeded his company’s obligations to lend its facilities to carry out light maintenance. The fight between the three companies is tough because if Iryo and Ouigo do not get access to the Renfe workshops, they have to send their trains to Italy and France, respectively, where they do have their own workshops. That, of course, temporarily takes some of its trains out of circulation, which undoubtedly benefits its competitors. Photo | Investing Spain and UGT In Xataka | Spain has thousands of kilometers of AVE: the question after the Adamuz accident is whether it is investing in maintaining them

Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo raised prices wildly in 2025. Now they are suffering the foreseeable consequences

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Demand on trains has fallen. We could think that it is the direct consequence of railway chaos that has set in in the first months of 2026. But no. The last quarter of 2025 already anticipated turbulent times for high speed. And between October and December 2025, prices skyrocketed and demand fell. Now it is the operators who have to walk a tightrope. What has happened? That demand for high-speed trains has fallen significantly in recent months. According to data from Trainlinetrain ticket price comparator, the demand for these trips plummeted 30% after the accident in Adamuz (Córdoba) in the middle of last January. The data could indicate a distrust among travelers as a result, but not everything is explained by the possible fear that those who travel by train may have. And the volume of travelers at the end of 2025 had already fallen. It is something we know now with the publication of the latest report from the CNMCwho collects market movements with a quarter delay or so. Madrid-Barcelona. The consequences in this report are clear, the volume of travelers fell between October and December 2025 in the Madrid-Barcelona corridor, where prices have settled and there is a smaller difference between companies. According to the CNMC, the main data are the following: Decrease in travelers of 13% compared to October-December 2024. Fall of the companies with the most expensive prices: -19% Renfe (95.58 euros) and -13.9% Iryo (76.89 euros). Rise of Ouigo (+12.8%) which has the cheapest prices (61.42 euros). The recorded data shows a brutal increase in prices. Renfe has been left without AVLO to fight for the floor price, which has triggered its average ticket but Ouigo and Iryo also multiplied the price of the average bill. In fact, the following increases were recorded compared to the previous year: Renfe: +40.2% Iryo: +69.0% Ouigo: +40.9% (Much) more expensive, less travel. The increase in prices in Madrid-Barcelona explains several trends: This broker is the least sensitive to price variations. Although the volume of passengers has been reduced, the increase in price has been much greater, so it is to be assumed that there are many travelers who continued to use it as round-trip transportation during the day for similar situations. The operators have finally had to raise prices to stop making losses. This has meant a reduction in passengers on Renfe (which, as we said, You no longer have AVLO service) and Iryo. Ouigo has grown by 12.9% but its places offered have also grown by 16.1%. In the rest of the corridors, only the Valencian has had a substantial price increase (+22.3%) and it has not suffered. Madrid-Seville (-1.9%), Madrid-Málaga (-5%) or Madrid-Alicante (+6.6%) have remained at similar prices. None of these corridors have lost travelers. What can we expect? A drastic drop in the volume of travelers. That is what we expect from the next CNMC report in which the results for January, February and March 2026 will be noted. There are many reasons that explain the result we expect. To begin with, the railway chaos that Spanish roads have become since the fateful Adamuz accident: The most affected. We already know that demand for trains has to fall irremediably given the cuts and speed restrictions that were recorded in the following days, but we must bear in mind that passenger confidence has been eroded since the accident. And not only because of a lack of trust in security, the problem is delays and inconsistency in arrival times. According to ABC65% of the trains arrived late last February. But it is that The Madrid-Barcelona corridor has been the most affected since clients relied on their Swiss punctuality for business trips. That has been diluted in recent weeks, with speed restrictions that are now permanent and road works. This has triggered air travelers, skyrocketing the price the same to the point that Iberia capped the prices of the Air Bridge at 99 euros. It remains to be seen if the companies’ alternative has been to lower prices. We will know that when the next CNMC report arrives and we can have a complete picture of how the market behaved and how operators dealt with these inconveniences when they were already rubbing their hands to raise prices. Photo | Alan Grant In Xataka | 150 years ago, Spain made a unique decision in the world. Ouigo and Iryo believe that Renfe is using it against them

150 years ago, Spain made a unique decision in the world. Ouigo and Iryo believe that Renfe uses it to get them out of the market

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They have no rolling stock. And the worst of all (for them) is that they are not going to have it. Ouigo, Iryo and a third rolling stock company have raised their voices before the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) to make it clear that the current system with two gauges of track reduces their competitiveness in our country compared to Renfe. And it doesn’t seem like it’s going to change in the short term. What has happened? The CNMC has published a document with the name “Report on technical barriers to the provision of railway services”. It sets out the challenges and interventions that Spain should carry out in the coming years. It specifies that the Spanish railway system has the obligation to improve interoperability with its neighboring countries, both to facilitate the flow of passengers and goods. But there is a drawback: the track widths. And this inconvenience has a very relevant economic impact. They complain. In the document the different postures are collected of those involved. And it states that “Ouigo, Iryo and a rolling stock manufacturer (which is not specified) warn that the uncertainty regarding the schedule and details of the Gauge Migration Plan, as well as the unification of the electrification system and the implementation of the ERTMS signaling system, makes decision-making on strategic investments difficult, and they ask that the Gauge Migration Plan be prepared and published as soon as possible.” In short: the two operators and the rolling stock manufacturer complain that Adif does not have a clear plan as to whether the Iberian high-speed track gauges are going to adapt to European standards, which move in standard gauge. The same happens with the unification of the electrification system and the definitive implementation of the ERTMS system. And they defend themselves. The position of Adif and Renfe is set out in the same document. Both companies “point out that incorporating gauge change technology in the rolling stock and infrastructure is less expensive and entails fewer interruptions in traffic than the migration of the infrastructure. On the other hand, both the AESF and the DG of the Railway Sector indicate that, in addition to Talgo, there is a second manufacturer of variable gauge rolling stock for high speed, CAF, although they admit that it is currently only approved to operate at 250 km/h.” In short: neither Renfe nor Adif They believe that adapting to the standard width is economically profitable given the high economic impact. The bottleneck. What Ouigo and Iryo defend is that the current situation and the commitment to trains with wide gauge technology leaves them behind. They have two reasons to maintain this. CAF can supply trains with this technology but they are only approved to travel at a maximum of 250 km/h. Talgo is the only company with this technology with approval to circulate up to 350 km/h. They are known as Talgo AVRIL but their production is committed to Renfe. And the results are not satisfactory either.. Beyond these two manufacturers, no one seems to want to get involved in the production of trains capable of changing tracks between standard and Iberian gauge. And the fact is that their production means meeting a demand that is still a niche or a rarity in the world railway system. Very juicy. The reluctance of Adif and Renfe is not strange either. For Adif it would mean a huge investment that has to be able to make profitable with the rest of the operators when the vast majority of current corridors in Spain already operate with standard gauge. For its part, Renfe does not want to let go of this trick either. Right now, the high speed to Galicia needs trains that are capable of moving between the Iberian gauge and the standard gauge if you do not want to transfer and the Spanish company is the only one that has the trains for this. The Galician corridor has also emerged as one of the most profitable. Travel has grown so much that it has made airlines retreat and now that they have to liberalize the line, maintaining the current situation guarantees that they will continue to be the only ones that will be able to offer this trip without transfers, which is a clear competitive advantage. Photo | Falk2 In Xataka | “Whoever wants to come, should invest”: Ouigo wanted to enter the Madrid-Galicia AVE but now sees it as impossible before 2030

Ouigo has presented record numbers (and profits) in Spain. Renfe’s response is clear: they do not believe it

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“Renfe is today the only high-speed operator in Spain that manages to close the year with profits, while the rest of the companies in the sector continue in the red” The phrase is clear and the content clear: Renfe continues to be considered the only company in Spain that presents benefits in high speed. We could consider the statement valid but it has only been a few days since Ouigo put another piece of information on the table. “For the first time,” they noted in the presentation of their results that the company “managed to generate positive EBITDA for the first time.” And yet, both may be right even if the data seems contradictory. A fight that doesn’t stop From March 15, 2021the Spanish railway sector lives two realities. The first is that Ouigo operates on Spanish railways, standing up to Renfe. The second reality is that both companies maintain an open war in an exchange of statements that does not seem to end. Although a low profile was maintained in the first two years, in 2024 the Government arrived to support Renfe in a fight that they consider unequal. Then, Óscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, already stated that Ouigo operated through unfair competition. According to the Government and Renfe, Ouigo can offer lower prices than them because it is supported by France from the other side of the border. Months later, Puente raised the bar and said that I would report the French to the European Commission for unfair competition. Then it was pointed out that Ouigo was operating in Spain because it was losing money. But, in addition, France would be torpedoing its arrival to new lines in the country that could confront them in the local market. That is to say, Spain had ended up opening doors that France closed to them. Since then, we have not had news of the complaint but it is certain that Ouigo and Renfe maintain an open battle that has presented us with various chapters. We have seen disputes over prices but also over the type of repairs Ouigo was doing in the Renfe workshops (Renfe has to offer them its space but considered that these exceeded the current permits) or statements from the French making it clear that for the particularities of high speed spanish It would be impossible for them to compete in Madrid-Galicia. The last battle of this war has to do with the financial results. January 26, 2026the SCNF group, owner of Ouigo, presented a press release in which it boasted that it had achieved a 44% increase in passengers on its Spanish trains. And, in addition, he pointed out that for the first time they achieved a positive EBITDA. This has been read as if, for the first time, the French company was making profits in our country, although the truth is that the accounts were not detailed and only that financial term is pointed out. The point is that the EBITDA It refers to the operating income of the business and certain expenses but does not take into account taxes on profits, financial expenses such as interest on loans or amortizations. At the moment, Ouigo has not provided these data, but we do know that the companies that operate in our country at high speed they were losing money. This has been a constant since the arrival of Ouigo and Iryo and, in fact, both have had to receive new investments to be able to face the losses that have come upon them in the last four years. This difference between the EBITDA and the net result is what Renfe uses to proclaim itself as the only company that operates on Spanish high speed and making profits. “At the end of 2025, the Renfe division dedicated to passenger transport obtained a net profit of 70.2 million eurosa figure clearly higher than the previous year (5.4 million)”, points out in his statement. Therefore, both companies are right, neither is lying. But none of them tell the whole truth. And Ouigo, everything indicates, will continue to give net losses this year but it is true that it has years left to amortize the investment it had to make to bring its trains to Spain. Collecting a positive EBITDA is a good sign because it indicates that you are moving towards profitability but you will not be able to obtain it until you meet the interest on the requested loans and the amortizations. Renfe, on the contrary, with a consolidated network in Spain and the experience of working in the field since before becoming a company with private capital, has a clear advantage over rivals. It is true that, as Transport Minister Óscar Puente has complainedis also obliged to provide a public service that does not always have to be profitable. Photo | Wayback Machine and Cheng-en Cheng In Xataka | The overwhelming success of the train in Spain: when they gave us a choice, we chose to flee the airports

where to look on Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo

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Let’s tell you how to know if your train has been canceled or if it has been delayed. So, whether you are curious or if you are going to the station and want to make sure first, you will be able to do this check. Actually, doing this check today is quite simple, although we are going to tell you what each of the operators does so that you can take it into account and know where they communicate to you. How to know if Renfe cancels your train In the event that Renfe cancels one of its trains, whether Cercanías, Media y Larga Distancia or AVLO, the company will notify you of the cancellation via SMS or email. Therefore, you will have to check the email number that you wrote when registering on their page to buy the ticket. You can manually check for cancellations or delays of this operator through its website renfe.com. In it, you have to go to the section My Trips within Manage your ticket. This will take you to a form where you have to write the locator of your routewhich is at the top of the bill. If you have not logged in with your account, you will also have to enter other information about the trip. If you have installed their mobile app and have logged in to ithaving purchased your mobile data with this account, then you will be notified with a notification or you will be able to check more easily if there are delays or cancellations. How to know if Iryo cancels your train In the event that Iryo cancels your trip, will notify you through your email. Therefore, you will have to pay attention to the email you wrote when purchasing your ticket. You can manually check for cancellations or delays of this operator through its website iryo.eu/es. In it, click on Manage your reservationwhere a window will open where you have to write the locator of your route and your last name or the date of travel, depending on which of these details you know. If you have installed their mobile app and have logged in to ithaving purchased your mobile data with this account, then you will be notified with a notification or you will be able to check more easily if there are delays or cancellations. How to know if Ouigo cancels your train In the event that Ouigo cancels your trip, will notify you through your email. Therefore, you will have to pay attention to the email you wrote when purchasing your ticket. You can manually check for cancellations or delays of this operator through its website ouigo.com/es. Inside click on My Reservationsand you will go to a page where you have to write your trip locator and the email you wrote when purchasing the ticket. If you have installed their mobile app and have logged in to ithaving purchased your mobile data with this account, then you will be notified with a notification or you will be able to check more easily if there are delays or cancellations. If you bought your ticket through a third party If you bought your ticket through a third partylike Trainline or similar pages, then you can do two things. First, you can look on the ticket to see which train operator is yours, and then follow the steps we told you before. But if you go to the website of this buying and selling website and go to your reservations or your travel list, they should also inform you there. In Xataka Basics | How to claim money for your Renfe, Ouigo or Iryo tickets if there are delays and cancellations, and how much corresponds to you in each case

Ouigo has left 15,000 passengers stranded in Andalusia. Immediately afterwards, Renfe has put more trains at 7 euros

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From one day to the next and without giving too many explanations, Ouigo has canceled its services in Andalusia until next January 22. The French company leaves some 15,000 travelers on the ground who have to make ends meet to cover the Madrid-Seville or Madrid-Málaga that they already had planned. And Renfe is taking advantage of it. What has happened? About 15,000 passengers affected for the cancellation of eight daily services from Friday to Monday and six daily services from Tuesday to Thursday on those same routes until January 22 “for operational reasons.” These are all the explanations that Ouigo has given for paralyzing its services in the south of Spain. The French company has given these reasons to newspapers such as The Country either The World because it has not even published a statement with a press release or made public any type of text on social networks that communicates the massive cancellations for two weeks. The last tweet mentions the current offers. Since then, silence. And now? The customer has two options, as the company has communicated to passengers who have already purchased a ticket for the next ten days: Change travel date Cancel the trip at no cost Refund of the ticket price in a voucher that can reach 200% of the original ticket price On the rebound. The new situation has been taken advantage of by Renfe. The company has announced that it is activating two new daily services between Madrid and Seville with AVLO trains. The first of them leaves Madrid at 12:00 and returns from Seville at 5:17 p.m. The company has also indicated that the new trains are also available within the active offers of trains at seven euros. Renfe has also taken the opportunity to remind users that train companies have the obligation to propose an alternative means of transport. in less than 100 minutes since the cancellation occurs. If not, the customer has the right to a refund of the ticket price free of charge. The refund, they remember in the OCUmust be delivered in the same payment method and the acceptance of a voucher to travel on another occasion must always be voluntary. a stick. Although Renfe has arranged two special services on the Madrid-Seville, it seems clear that the new schedules cannot take on the volume of cancellations produced with the Ouigo trains, but it does serve Renfe for two things. The first is to receive unexpected income on the line. The second is that it allows them to send a message. And remembering the railway regulations is enough for Renfe to send a stick to Ouigo just when the controversy over compensation in case of delay is flying over the national panorama. It must be remembered that Renfe is obliged to refund, from January 1, 2026, 100% of the ticket if trains are delayed more than 30 minutes. A measure that the Government wants to avoid understanding that it is discriminatory for the public company compared to the competition. And Ouigo and Iryo benefit since what was approved by the Congress of Deputies only affects Renfe. Both the French and the Italian companies only return 100% of the ticket when delays exceed 90 minutes, a decision that Renfe continues to apply into 2026 since the State’s attorney has concluded with a report that the obligation is not such as of January 1 despite the change in regulations and that it is necessary to change the Railway Sector Regulation. as reported by the Ministry of Transport. The case has already occurred. Renfe also knows what it is talking about. And last summer, the fires in Zamora and León cut off the train service between Galicia and Madrid. Then Renfe was committed to returning the price total of the ticket, just as happens with Ouigo, but FACUA defended that the company was obliged to provide an alternative land service and that this was not being complied with. The railway company defended itself by saying that it was unthinkable to transfer the volume of passengers from the train to a bus service. Photo | Xataka In Xataka | Renfe has had a more dangerous rival than Ouigo: comply with its own schedules

Ouigo cancels services between Madrid, Seville and Malaga, with thousands of passengers affected

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Maybe you already had the ticket purchased and your suitcase half packed, or maybe you had taken advantage of one of the recent Pink Days by Ouigo to move between Madrid, Seville or Malaga at a particularly low price. Everything seemed to fall into place until, upon reviewing the trip or receiving a notification, the plan began to go awry without much visible explanation. Traveling at high speed is usually synonymous with predictability, but these days it has become a source of uncertainty for thousands of people. Ouigo has canceled several of its high-speed services during this month of January in the Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Málaga corridors, a decision that the company itself attributes to “operational reasons.” as explained to newspapers such as El País and the world. The cut affects eight daily services from Friday to Monday and six daily services from Tuesday to Thursday on those same routes. The problems would last until January 22, with an estimate of about 15,000 passengers affected. Ouigo’s message to those affected. According to the information provided by the company itself, affected passengers have been informed of the cancellations in advance and have received direct communications about the available options. In these notices, Ouigo proposes two main alternatives: change the ticket for free to another available service or cancel the trip. The company maintains that this decision has been made to guarantee the quality of service during the period affected by operational problems. Those who decide not to relocate their trip and opt for cancellation may also qualify for financial compensation. The amount of this compensation varies depending on the moment in which the cancellation was notified and is between 200% and 50% of the ticket price. The company defends that this scheme aims to cushion the impact of cancellations on travelers. In this framework, Ouigo adds that these compensations “go beyond what is legally required.” What the OCU says. In a statementthe OCU emphasizes that the refund of the ticket must be made by the same means of payment used in the purchase and that accepting a voucher is not mandatory, but a voluntary option. Furthermore, it points out that in certain cases those affected can claim additional compensation for the damages suffered, such as accommodation expenses already paid, lost reservations or tickets to shows that could not be attended, as long as they can prove it with documentation. If the traveler considers that the solution offered is not sufficient, the OCU reminds that there are formal mechanisms to complain to Ouigo. The organization explains that you can submit a complaint form directly on the company’s website, in addition to contacting its customer service by telephone. Specifically, Ouigo provides a toll-free number, +34 900 759 781, and another with a local rate, +34 911 674 583. Ouigo takes it away from you and Renfe gives it to you? Renfe moved quickly on two fronts that were very visible to the traveler. On the one hand, activated special AVLO trains in the Southern corridor to absorb part of the demand, with two additional services between Madrid and Seville, one at 12:00 p.m. and another at 5:17 p.m., both with tickets from 7 euros. On the other hand, he did not waste time telling it on social networks, where he launched direct messages to warn of those alternatives. The company has also indicated that it will reinforce the capacity of its trains if demand demands it in the coming days. Renfe messages in X No statement on Ouigo networks. Beyond the notifications received by those affected, there is a simple check that allows us to better understand the scope of the situation. When reviewing Ouigo’s website During the purchasing process, there is a lower supply of daily services on the Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Málaga corridors, especially on the dates affected by the cuts. On the other hand, according to our review, we have not located specific communications about these cancellations on the website or social networks of Ouigo in Spain (x, Facebook, instagram). What to do if I am one of those affected. The first thing is to check if we have received a cancellation notification and check exactly what affects our trip. From there, it is time to decide between a free ticket change or cancellation and confirm what compensation corresponds to each case. If the cancellation has generated other expenses, it is advisable to gather all the documentation as soon as possible to be able to make a claim and, if we need to travel on those dates, there is no choice but to check what alternatives are still available in the affected corridor. Images | OUIGO In Xataka | I have tried to buy one of the 7 euro Renfe tickets. And Renfe has done Renfe’s

Ouigo and Renfe unleash a price war like we have not seen in a long time

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Who was going to tell us 20 years ago that we would change the traditional races at the doors of El Corte Inglés on January 7 to burn the F5 on the Renfe website. Or, much more inconceivable, that of another French company that was going to compete with the public company to take us on high-speed trains through our country. However, this is how we are. January sales. Since yesterday, January 7, Ouigo has put it up for sale train tickets at reduced prices. So reduced that it is possible to find options for nine euros because 80% of the available tickets are discounted. The maximum price of these tickets is 33 euros. The offer will last until next January 14th… as long as there are tickets available. An almost carbon copy maneuver Renfe has undertaken. Since January 8, the Spanish company has opened juicy discounts on its train tickets. In this case, the offer extends until January 18 on AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Intercity, Euromed and AVE Internacional tickets, but it is not specified how many tickets are available with discounts that offer AVLO tickets at seven euros and AVE tickets at 15 euros. CNMC source: https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/6291881.pdf New year, cheap trains. It has been a constant since competition entered the Spanish railways. Train prices in our country plummet every beginning of the year, as shown in the graph above referring to the Madrid-Barcelona corridor from the Railway Traveler Report presented by the CNMC every quarter. The image above refers to the most used broker in our country and, therefore, the least susceptible to price changes. Obviously, the image is repeated on trips to Andalusia or the Levant. Thus, all companies lower prices with juicy discounts at the beginning of the year. Then they rise due to Easter and the arrival of summer and suffer a small drop again in the third quarter before picking up again at the end of the year. It repeats. If we take a look at the report that collects data from just one year ago, we see how the number of passengers has been increasing in recent years but that prices had to drop to transport a passenger with fewer incentives to move in a quarter without major holidays and worse weather prospects. That made it so that in 2025, according to data from the CNMCin the first quarter of the year, AVE prices fell by 9.2%, Iryo prices by 11.2%, Ouigo prices by 16.1% and AVLO prices by 19.5% compared to the previous quarter in the Madrid-Barcelona corridor. And December is one of the most expensive months of the year to buy tickets and this is repeated in all corridors. With leaden feet. Although the offers are attractive, we must not lose sight of the fact that it is a specific ticket sale and that what sets the trend is the average price at which most tickets are sold. And the last few months tell us that ticket prices are going up. This quarter’s performance is something we will have to wait to find out but if we look at last year’s data from the same Madrid-Barcelona corridor, only Iryo lowered prices in a representative manner when compared to the previous year. It did so by 5.4%, followed by AVLO which lowered prices by 3.9%. However, the AVE only fell by 0.9% and Ouigo raised prices by 5.6%. On average, the price only fell by 0.9%. It is true that in the Andalusian corridors and in Madrid-Valencia, prices fell significantly last year, with drops in the average ticket price of between 10 and 17%. Of course, it must be taken into account that these are destinations where the seasonal influence is more pronounced than in Madrid-Barcelona, ​​a more stable corridor in passenger volume. Fewer offers and more profitability. We give this notice because in recent times we have seen how the prices of Spanish trains have been rising. According to the latest report from the CNMCwhich refers to the third quarter of 2025, the average interannual price of this period increased by more than 25% in Madrid-Barcelona and remained more or less stable in all corridors except Madrid-Málaga, which Until last year it did not have the Ouigo factor. However, from all companies they have paved the way so that we get the idea that the price is going to rise. So much Iryo as Ouigo They have announced that they are ending losing money to enter a new market. Both have made changes in management and from Renfe they have warned that If the competition raises prices they will follow. Photo | Xataka In Xataka | When Iryo and Ouigo began to compete with Renfe they did so by lowering prices. Those days are not coming back

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