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ARCHIVED - Free train tickets available to buy now in Spain for Murcia and Alicante rail travel
The special offer of free rail passes on Spanish commuter trains is valid for train journeys until the end of 2022
Travellers can get free train passes with Renfe trains in Spain as of Wednesday August 24 for rail travel between September 1 and December 31.
Regular train passengers in Murcia and Alicante can get free rail passes for Media Distancia trains between Cartagena and Murcia, and between Cartagena and Valencia, and also for Murcia-Alicante and Murcia-Lorca-Águilas Cercanías overground trains, a service that is currently provided by replacement buses but can be made with a train ticket.
You do not have to be a resident in Spain or have a NIE or TIE in order to make use of this free travel deal, which means that tourists coming to Spain can also benefit. As long as you make the minimum required number of journeys using the rail pass, you can travel for free.
This discount, approved by the Government to deal with the rising prices and to promote public transport, will be in force until the end of the year for users with any type of season ticket.
Guide to getting a free rail pass for train travel in Spain
Cercanías and Rodalies trains
You must register on the Renfe and Renfe Cercanías websites and apps to prepare the necessary procedures for the purchase of season tickets. Users who normally use Renfe should already have this step done, as it is a simple matter of registering your details.
In order to purchase a rail pass, you need to pay a deposit. For Cercanías and Rodalies train services, the amount to be paid when purchasing the season ticket will be 10 euros, paid preferably by bank card, so that the refund is automatically returned to the card, provided that the user has made a 
minimum of 16 journeys.
minimum of 16 journeys.If the minimum number of journeys stipulated (16) is not met, the deposit will be considered as compensation and will not be returned to the user. If the deposit is paid in cash, the refund must be requested at a physical ticket office in person, at a customer service office or any other after-sales service provided for this purpose by Renfe.
During the period of the new free tickets, the sale of the rest of the usual train passes will be suspended, although those purchased previously will remain valid and may be used for travel.
The season ticket will be purchased for each Cercanías hub and will be valid for unlimited journeys between any origin and destination. All customers will be able to obtain this season ticket at ticket offices, self-service machines and via the Renfe Cercanías app.
The app will generate a QR code that will be automatically downloaded to the mobile phone and can be used to go through the turnstiles directly at the Cercanías train stations in Murcia and Alicante. It will also generate a seven-digit code that can be used to obtain the season ticket as a physical card or to load it onto the one already in the customer’s possession at ticket offices or self-sale machines. In any case, Renfe says it will supply support staff at the stations in these hubs.
Media Distancia trains
In the case of the Conventional Media Distancia (Medium Distance) trains, the deposit will be around 20 euros and if a minimum of 16 journeys are made, this amount will be returned. Users will be able to obtain their free pass at self-service machines and ticket offices at stations and formalise their journey at self-service machines, ticket offices, the website and on the Renfe app.
During the four months that the new free rail passes will be in force, the sale of regular season tickets will be suspended, and they will remain valid as they were purchased. Passengers will be able to request a refund of the proportional part of previously purchased tickets.
Avant Passes
In the case of the new Avant high-speed travel cards and Avant season tickets, the period of use will run from September 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023.
Avant PSO (Public Service Obligation) services will benefit from a 50% discount for recurrent users, which will be applied to all Avant multi-journey tickets (Tarjeta Plus, Tarjeta Plus 10 or Tarjeta Plus 10-45) sold between August 24 and December 31, 2022.
Passes sold previously whose journeys are used during the period of validity of the discounts may request a refund of 50% of each journey made during that period through Renfe’s after-sales channels. Discounts for large families (with more than three children) and other organisations will be applied after the 50% rebate.
The Avant Tarjeta Plus (30-50) pass is valid for three months and can be used for 60 days from the date of the first journey. For the Avant Tarjeta Plus 10 Normal and Student cards, 30 days are established for the first formalisation and 20 days for its use from the date of travel of said formalisation. For the Avant Tarjeta Plus 10-45, the period of validity and use will be 45 days from the date of purchase, including this one.
New high-speed multi-journey travel cards
In addition, Renfe will also market a new season ticket on certain routes, which will be nominative and will correspond to an origin/destination on journeys where the shortest journey time is less than 100 minutes, is not a journey declared a public service obligation-Avant and is not on lines with signed capacity framework agreements.
This travel card may be purchased until 31 December 2022 for use between September 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023. It will be valid for 10 journeys, in both directions, between the origin and destination requested, and the period of use will be 30 days for the first formalisation and 20 days for use from the date of travel of that formalisation.
The routes for which this new ticket may be purchased are:
Madrid-Palencia, Madrid-Zamora, León-Valladolid, León-Palencia, Burgos-Madrid, Burgos-Valladolid, Ourense-Zamora, Palencia-Valladolid, Huesca-Zaragoza, León-Segovia, Segovia-Zamora, Palencia-Segovia, Medina del Campo-Zamora.
It’s important to remember that the use of facemasks is still obligatory on all public transport everywhere in Spain, including buses and trains.
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