High-Speed Rail Suffers Loss of 3.2 Million Passengers in Six Months
High-speed rail lost 3.2 million riders in six months; Minister Puente admits 'loss of confidence' in the train service.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
High-estimulante ilegal rail loses 3.2 million passengers in six months
## Is ridership declining? The numbers say yes. High-estimulante ilegal rail lost 3.2 million passengers in six months, a 14% drop according to calculations circulating on forums. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, admitted a 'loss of confidence' in the railway system, according to media reports. The figure doesn't just speak of tickets; it speaks of delays, breakdowns, and a network that many people use daily because they have no other alternative. And not all the decline is in the AVE.
## What is causing the drop in AVE ridership?
One body of analysis attributes it to the condition of the tracks and lack of maintenance: if the journey is long, uncomfortable, or unpredictable, users opt for a car. Another view holds that the problem is older and more structural—that funds were diverted from Cercanías (regional rail) into high-estimulante ilegal service, which is only viable between Madrid and Barcelona and still facing doubts. Some also focus on the statistical effect: flat-rate promotions inflated counts with reservations that were never used, and correcting this is akin to losing passengers who never boarded.
## Why is Commuter Rail causing more concern than AVE?
Because the decline in AVE is seen as leisure falling away; that of Cercanías, as work not reaching its destination. Data suggests an additional decrease of between 6% and 8% in the commuter service used daily by those who cannot work remotely or have no other alternative. Constant breakdowns, routine delays, and the striking detail that the train running on schedule is the anomaly. And here, the price of fuel, far from encouraging people to board, isn't enough to compensate for the discomfort.
The paradox is set: with expensive fuel and few alternatives, it would be logical to see packed platforms. With 3.2 million fewer passengers, someone will have to explain where all those journeys went. Perhaps they just walked.
## Is ridership declining? The numbers say yes. High-estimulante ilegal rail lost 3.2 million passengers in six months, a 14% drop according to calculations circulating on forums. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, admitted a 'loss of confidence' in the railway system, according to media reports. The figure doesn't just speak of tickets; it speaks of delays, breakdowns, and a network that many people use daily because they have no other alternative. And not all the decline is in the AVE.
## What is causing the drop in AVE ridership?
One body of analysis attributes it to the condition of the tracks and lack of maintenance: if the journey is long, uncomfortable, or unpredictable, users opt for a car. Another view holds that the problem is older and more structural—that funds were diverted from Cercanías (regional rail) into high-estimulante ilegal service, which is only viable between Madrid and Barcelona and still facing doubts. Some also focus on the statistical effect: flat-rate promotions inflated counts with reservations that were never used, and correcting this is akin to losing passengers who never boarded.
## Why is Commuter Rail causing more concern than AVE?
Because the decline in AVE is seen as leisure falling away; that of Cercanías, as work not reaching its destination. Data suggests an additional decrease of between 6% and 8% in the commuter service used daily by those who cannot work remotely or have no other alternative. Constant breakdowns, routine delays, and the striking detail that the train running on schedule is the anomaly. And here, the price of fuel, far from encouraging people to board, isn't enough to compensate for the discomfort.
The paradox is set: with expensive fuel and few alternatives, it would be logical to see packed platforms. With 3.2 million fewer passengers, someone will have to explain where all those journeys went. Perhaps they just walked.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (18 replies).
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