Adif launches a gesture towards the railway companies that operate the high-speed route between Barcelona and Madrid, that is, Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo. The infrastructure manager has proposed raising the bonus for this axis to 35% with the aim of lowering or, at least, maintaining competitive prices in the disputed passenger transport service.
Currently, the line between Barcelona and the capital, which also extends to the French border, is subsidized at 25%. Adif defends that with its proposal, which aims to be reflected in the first fee regulation, it seeks to "stimulate demand and compensate for the commercial effort made by railway operators in this corridor."
Likewise, Adif proposes maintaining the 35% bonus already enjoyed by the high-speed line between Madrid and Andalusia and the 50% bonus enjoyed by the route between the capital and Levante. Of the three high-speed lines, the Catalunya line had the least discount, therefore.
The one from Barcelona and Madrid is also the most expensive rate. With the discounts proposed by Adif, high-speed users would pay 9.6668 euros per trip between Sants and Atocha. The Andalusia line has a fare of 6.7535 euros; and that of Levante, of 3.1456 euros.
Adif estimates that, with the proposed bonuses, companies will receive income of 65 million, 30 million this year and 35 million next year. The operator understands that high-speed traffic will increase in the coming months. Specifically, it estimates an increase in passenger traffic of 40% in 2024 compared to 2019.
The modification of the railway sector law at the end of last year allows Adif to have greater flexibility when setting its fees which, until now, have depended on the General State Budget law. Fees are no longer considered a tax and the public operator can have greater maneuverability, which is why it has raised this proposal in the fee regulations. In this way, and despite the accumulated inflation of 12.4% in the last three years, Adif has decided to propose a policy of freezing rates for next year, for the fourth consecutive year.
The proposal now begins the public hearing process and must receive contributions from interested companies, pressure groups, autonomous communities or the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC).
Adif is currently studying the second phase of liberalization of new rail routes, which could cover the Mediterranean Corridor. The company has launched a survey of the private sector to find out its commercial interest and to be able to finalize the final proposal.
