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Cercanias train at Victoria Kent station.
Credit: Jose Maria Navarro Sanchez – Flickr
Renfe, Spain’s national railway operator, has brought out new monthly passes and discounted tickets for the Cercanías and Rodalies commuter networks, as well as Medium-Distance services, as free travel policies in place since September 2022 have come to an end.
The new pricing structure provides significant savings for young travellers and pave the way for an unified public transportation pass that is expected to debut by January 2026.
The most notable discounted ticket is a €20 monthly pass for unlimited travel across all Cercanías commuter networks in Spain, valid for one month and available for purchase up to 10 days before first use. For passengers aged 26 and under, the pass is priced at just €10 per month.
As well, a 10-journey ticket for Cercanías is available without discounts, with prices varying based on the number of zones travelled within each network. This ticket has a validity of one year. It is also transferable, meaning that anyone can use the ticket.
Renfe has introduced monthly passes that are valid for unlimited travel for a certain origin-destination routes. Passes for this route offer a 50% discount to those aged up to 26 years old and a 40% discount for the rest of us. Children under 14 travel free. These passes are only available at Renfe’s ticket counters and automatic self-service machines. The validity of these passes is one month starting 10 days after the purchase. The 10-journey ticket for medium distance, valid for an entire year, can be shared among several passengers. It offers a 40% discount to all passengers except those under 14.
This new ticketing system replaces the free travel scheme for Cercanías and medium-distance services. In the meantime, discounts on multi-journey and monthly passes for local and regional public transport will drop from 50% to 40% from July 2025. Costs are shared equally by central government, local and regional authorities, and regional governments.
The freebies have gone and the changes are aimed at balancing affordability with sustainability, while also preparing for the national public transport pass that is expected to be introduced next year.
