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Date Published: 11/11/2022

ARCHIVED - Spanish rail company considers cancelling free trips as ghost bookings continue

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Renfe has been plagued by so-called ghost trips since the free travel scheme was introduced across Spain

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Spanish rail company considers cancelling free trips as ghost bookings continue

Spanish rail operator Renfe is considering drastic action to cut down on the number of train tickets that are booked only to end up going unused, leading to genuine passengers being unable to secure a seat on the free Media Distancia trains. A company spokesperson revealed this week that it is looking at cancelling travel passes for people who abuse the system, or holding onto their deposits.

When the free travel scheme was launched in September, passengers almost immediately began complaining that they were unable to buy a ticket online as their route was booked out, only to later see these ‘ghost trains’ leaving the station half empty. The problem was that many users were booking multiple journeys and failing to cancel the ones they didn’t need.

To remedy the situation, Renfe limited passengers to reserving four trips per day, but since the service will continue to be free throughout 2023, those misusing the system still incur no financial penalties.

This restriction of two round trips per day, which came into effect on September 16, also prevented passengers from booking a return ticket until their outbound journey had taken place.

These two measures, however, have proven largely ineffective in tackling the problem, and regular commuters have been left frustrated and in many cases, stranded.

With complaints mounting, the Ministry of Transport has assured that a new battery of measures will be agreed by the end of the year.

Of the total number of free multi-trip tickets issued, 600,000 are for Medium Distance routes.

See also: 40 Celtic fans kicked off Spanish train for causing 1-hour delay with antisocial behaviour

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