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Date Published: 19/09/2022

ARCHIVED - Alicante welcomes new low-cost high-speed train service to rival Renfe

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The Alicante-Madrid route will begin in June 2023 with tickets costing 18 euros

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Alicante welcomes new low-cost high-speed train service to rival Renfe

Iryo’s high-speed train service, which is a consortium between the Spanish airline Air Nostrum and the rail operator Trenitalia, is giving Renfe a run for its money, offering dozens of low-cost trips between Alicante and Madrid, with a stop in Albacete, from June next year. The news will be welcomed by travellers who are now facing much longer journeys after the AVE destination station in the capital was moved from Puerta de Atocha to Chamartín.

The new rail company has ambitious plans to move eight million passengers across Spain by 2025, beginning with a Madrid-Barcelona line on November 25. Iryo will charge its Alicante AVE passengers just 18 euros each way and as an added bonus, its trains will stop at the more convenient Atocha station in Madrid.

The sector is going through a bit of an upheaval, with French operator Oigo repeatedly delaying the launch of its high-speed trains in the Valencian province, and Renfe anxiously awaiting the delivery of 30 new trains before it can run more services. However, industry insiders believe the announcement by Iryo will give Renfe a push to speed up the process.

Iryo is offering promotional tickets on its website at the moment for anyone who wants to book early, and the operator’s trains are unique in that they offer four different class of car – ‘Infinita’, ‘Singular Café’, ‘Singular’ and ‘Initial’. The Singular car is expected to be especially popular with commuters, since it provides state-of-the-art work spaces for business people.

The competition brought to the Spanish rail market by the likes of Ouigo and Iryo has led to a 49% reduction in the price of tickets and this, along with a greater choice of routes, has skyrocketed ticket sales by 393% since May last year.

Image: Iryo

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