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Date Published: 29/01/2025

On time, every time: Spain's rail network leads Europe for punctuality

Renfe, the main train operator in Spain, is the fourth most reliable in Europe

Since so many train passengers are commuting to work, catching a flight or travelling for appointments, it stands to reason that reliability is one of the top priorities, second only to ticket price. And it seems like rail passengers in Spain are in luck as Renfe’s medium and long-distance trains have just been named the fourth most punctual in all of Europe.

Renfe, Spain’s state-owned railway company, has a punctuality rate of 87%, according to a report published by the NGO Transport & Environment in December, and cancels just 0.47% of its services.

The Mind the gap! Europe's Rail Operators: a Comparative Ranking report, which analysed 27 rail operators and compared them on the basis of several key criteria, ranked Renfe as the fourth most reliable company. Of the 25 high-speed operators in Europe, only eight achieved a score above 80% when delays of five minutes or more were taken into account.

Renfe trains were only surpassed by the Swiss company SBB, the Dutch company NS and the Belgian company SNCB. On the other hand, the German corporation Deutsche Bahn and the Portuguese company CP are at the back of the queue in this essential issue.

According to a McKinsey report, ticket price is the main factor when choosing a mode of transport for 49% of European citizens surveyed. Reliability is the second most important factor, followed closely by issues such as customer experience, special rates and discounts and compensation policies.

Renfe, as it turns out, is top of the class in all of these criteria. The Spanish rail operator scored 8.4 for overall customer experience, which looks at things like power sockets and Wi-Fi on board. With regard to special offers, the company achieved 8.8 thanks to offering “a wide range of discounts and benefits for different types of travellers” on its AVE, Long Distance, Avant and Medium Distance trains; special rates that benefit travellers from people with disabilities and reduced mobility to people over 60 years old, as well as young people, large families and companies, among others.

Compensation policies also place Renfe among the most highly valued European trains. Delays of between 60 and 90 minutes entail a 50% refund and 100% if the delay exceeds 90 minutes.

Today, although competition among rail operators in Spain has never been fiercer, more than 600 million passengers a year choose to travel with Renfe.

In other news: Spain transport discounts are back: Up to 50 per cent off train and bus travel this year

Image: Renfe

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