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ARCHIVED - First high-speed Ouigo train from Madrid arrives in Valencia
The low-cost train line began officially operating on Friday October 7 with tickets from to and from Spain's capital just 9 euros
In what has been hailed "a new page in Spanish railway history", the first low-cost, high-speed Ouigo train from Madrid arrived in Valencia at midday on Thursday, 24-hours before the new service became officially operational.
From today, Friday October 7, the rail company will operate five daily outbound and five daily return trains with tickets on sale from 9 euros, which includes hand luggage. The high frequency of trains places Valencia as the most connected city to Spain's capital, Madrid.
Ouigo trains are double-decker and the company has the capacity to carry 35,000 passengers a week.
On board the first train to make the "historic" journey to Valencia's Joaquín Sorolla station was the president of Adif, María Luisa Domínguez, and the general secretary of Infrastructures, Xavier Flores, amongst other officials, who were met by the city's Councillor for Territorial Policy, Rebeca Torró, and the Government Delegate, Pilar Bernabé.
They became the first passengers to make a high-speed journey between Madrid and Valencia on a train other than Renfe's AVE or Avlo trains, following the liberalisation of the sector that began in 2020. The Valencia route is only the second line on which Ouigo operates in Spain after launching the Madrid-Barcelona route in May last year.
During the inauguration, company spokesperson, Hélène Valenzuela assured that the "escalation of energy cuts will not be reflected in ticket prices", and that fares from just 9 euros are something "structural" in the "DNA" of the firm.
Ouigo is hopeful that from April, it will be able to make "forward purchases" three or four years ahead of time in order to "stabilise" energy costs, benefit from long-term purchases and promote greener alternatives to travelling by car.
"To get people out of their private vehicles, we have to offer them an affordable price," said Valenzuela, and stressed Ouigo's commitment to maintain "low prices in the medium and long term".
Image: Ouigo
staff.inc.ali
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