Rail users are not used to getting on a train that smells like new. The passengers who used the Iryo trains for the first time between Barcelona and Madrid (or vice versa) experienced this pleasant feeling aboard the new Frecciarosa manufactured by Hitachi and Alstom that have just entered service in Spain.
The new trains, which will have 16 daily frequencies between the two large Spanish cities, come to complete the liberalization process of the high-speed network of the Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif). A process that Renfe defined in a friendly way as the Train Game, making an analogy with the popular George R.R. Martin, and which now adds a third operator that will compete with the Spanish public company and the French low-cost trains Ouigo. While the SNCF subsidiary has opted to play the cheapest price card, forgetting the quality of service, the latest company to appear on the scene wants to compete face to face with Renfe in the quality/price ratio.
Its appearance will boost the trend that has already been taking place in recent months, according to a study by the Trainline ticket sales platform, which has detected a reduction in ticket prices of up to 43% on average in the last quarter compared to the previous quarter. same period of 2019, going from an average price of 81 euros to 46. "With the liberalization, travelers can choose, prices drop and frequencies are extended," summarizes the general director of Iryo, Victor Bañares, on board the first company train between Barcelona and Madrid.
The operator, owned by Trenitalia, Globalvia and Air Nostrum, takes advantage of adjusted prices and new trains, but where it wants to become strong is in passenger services. Among the most repeated compliments by the first users are the spaciousness of the seats, the good treatment of the staff, the powerful internet connection and the quality of the gastronomic offer.
A subject as given to controversy as the taste of the potato omelette generated unanimity among the clients of the bar-restaurant. There is another of the novelties, with specific seats to eat, where managers of a large bank mixed with some young people on their way to a reunion with friends made during Erasmus.
The existence of four different classes of tickets based on convenience and flexibility facilitates this diversity, with which Iryo intends to attract more than two million travelers per year. The figure could grow if the company's ambitious plans are fulfilled, which intends to connect Barcelona with French and Italian cities in the future as well.
