Spain to return deposits for free train travel offer from January 9th
Renfe will begin returning the deposits taken for the free train travel subscription in Spain from January 9th.
Spain's state train operator Renfe will begin returning the deposits paid by travellers taking advantage of the free travel on Cercanías and Media Distancia trains from January 9th.
The free travel offer, something taken up by over 2.5 million people in recent months, required a deposit of €10 or €20 in order to get the subscription.
The return of the deposits was confirmed by Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, in a meeting with the press held this Monday in Madrid.
- READ ALSO: Spain’s free train tickets to continue throughout 2023
- READ ALSO: GUIDE: How to get free train tickets in Spain
From January 9th, all commuters who paid the deposit by card will automatically receive their refund, while those who paid it in cash will be able to request the refund in person from January 15th.
However, those travellers who have misused the free travel offer will not receive their refund. Sánchez estimated in December that around 10 percent of all the free tickets issued were being used 'fraudulently', that is, by people who reserved seats on several different trains and then didn't use them.
Though Sánchez pledged to implement sanctions on those cheeky commuters bending the rules, as of December 23rd just 70 travellers had had their subscription withdrawn and deposit seized.
READ ALSO: 10 percent of Spain’s free train travel tickets are used fraudulently
Speaking to the press, Sánchez also estimated that for a family of four taking advantage of the free travel subscription in 2023, in Madrid it would amount to savings of €1,800, in Barcelona €2,200, and in Valencia more than €3,000.
The minister also added that the government is doing everything it can to ensure that renewing the passes for 2023 is "easy and effective," while highlighting that the "historical and unprecedented" measure not only helps Spaniards during a period of economic hardship but also encourages the use of public transport and contributes to the fight against climate change.
The offer is available on trains operated by the state-owned train network Renfe, including Cercanías, Rodalies (in Catalonia), and Media Distancia (local and medium-distance journeys).
Crucially, it’s only offered on special multi-journey tickets, not on single journeys or high-speed AVE trains.
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Spain's state train operator Renfe will begin returning the deposits paid by travellers taking advantage of the free travel on Cercanías and Media Distancia trains from January 9th.
The free travel offer, something taken up by over 2.5 million people in recent months, required a deposit of €10 or €20 in order to get the subscription.
The return of the deposits was confirmed by Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, in a meeting with the press held this Monday in Madrid.
- READ ALSO: Spain’s free train tickets to continue throughout 2023
- READ ALSO: GUIDE: How to get free train tickets in Spain
From January 9th, all commuters who paid the deposit by card will automatically receive their refund, while those who paid it in cash will be able to request the refund in person from January 15th.
However, those travellers who have misused the free travel offer will not receive their refund. Sánchez estimated in December that around 10 percent of all the free tickets issued were being used 'fraudulently', that is, by people who reserved seats on several different trains and then didn't use them.
Though Sánchez pledged to implement sanctions on those cheeky commuters bending the rules, as of December 23rd just 70 travellers had had their subscription withdrawn and deposit seized.
READ ALSO: 10 percent of Spain’s free train travel tickets are used fraudulently
Speaking to the press, Sánchez also estimated that for a family of four taking advantage of the free travel subscription in 2023, in Madrid it would amount to savings of €1,800, in Barcelona €2,200, and in Valencia more than €3,000.
The minister also added that the government is doing everything it can to ensure that renewing the passes for 2023 is "easy and effective," while highlighting that the "historical and unprecedented" measure not only helps Spaniards during a period of economic hardship but also encourages the use of public transport and contributes to the fight against climate change.
The offer is available on trains operated by the state-owned train network Renfe, including Cercanías, Rodalies (in Catalonia), and Media Distancia (local and medium-distance journeys).
Crucially, it’s only offered on special multi-journey tickets, not on single journeys or high-speed AVE trains.
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