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Spain rail operators forced to release train schedules earlier
The changes should give train passengers in Spain more time to plan their trips
Unlike booking a flight, which you can normally do at least six month in advance, Spain’s main rail operator Renfe only allows customers choose a train ticket two months before their date of departure. Its competitors, Iryo and Ouigo, are a little more flexible, but the stickler is that they then reserve the right to change everything from travel times to routes.
In most parts of Europe, train tickets go on sale around three and a half months in advance but in Spain, this deadline is controlled by Adif, the country’s railway infrastructure manager. Now, the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) is going to force the company to extend this time frame.
This should make a huge difference to passengers. In the case of Renfe, train schedules will be released earlier so travellers can plan their trips further in advance and the change should avoid the other two rail operators having to alter their schedules too close to the departure.
A two-month window may be enough time for freight trains to organise themselves, the CNMC believes, but this tight timeline just doesn’t work for passengers.
“For freight services it may be appropriate, but for passenger services it delays the advance sale of tickets in a period of high demand, such as the December long weekend and Christmas,” the regulator said. Moreover, such a short deadline “makes it difficult” to plan other necessities like train maintenance and staff rosters.
The CNMC hasn’t yet announced how far in advance the operators will have to release their train schedules, but a spokesperson did point out that the European Commission recommends putting tickets on sale around six months ahead of time, just like airlines and buses.
But for this to work, Adif would have to let the rail companies know how many routes they each can have at least a year in advance, so there’s a lot more details to be ironed out before passengers are likely to see any changes.
Image: Adif
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