New Year, same prices. Or at least until June 30. The Government of Pedro Sánchez has approved in an extraordinary Council of Ministers the extension of aid to public transport, in force since September 2022, during the first half of 2025, which will continue the free Renfe passes for Cercanías, Rodalies and the conventional Media Distancia, as well as the bonus on the transport pass of the Community of Madrid.
The Executive has kept its decision up in the air until the last moment despite the fact that the Community of Madrid had already announced that it would continue to apply the discounts in the event that the Ministry of Transport did the same. However, Pedro Sánchez has announced that this measure will remain, in principle, until June 30, 2025. and has advanced that, after this date, there will be “a broad package of discounts and aid for travelers.” If there are no changes, starting July 1, 2025, the rates that were in effect in 2022, before the bonus began to apply, will apply.
In this way, until June 30, transport pass users will pay the following monthly fee:
- Zone A pass: 21.80 euros
- Zone B1 pass: 25.40 euros
- Zone B2 pass: 28.80 euros
- Zone B3 pass: 32.80 euros
- Zone C1 subscription: 32.80 euros
- Zone C2 subscription: 32.80 euros
- Zone E1 subscription: 44.20 euros
- Zone E2 subscription: 52.72 euros
- 30-day Youth Pass (all areas): 8 euros
- Senior Citizen Pass: Free
- Child pass: Free
Already in the second semester, if the bonuses are not maintained by the Government, the Community of Madrid warned that the rates in force in 2022 would be applied, so the monthly price of the subscription would be as follows:
- Zone A pass: 54.60 euros.
- Zone B1 pass: 63.70 euros.
- Zone B2 pass: 72 euros.
- Zone B3 pass: 82 euros.
- Zone C1 subscription: 82 euros.
- Zone C2 pass: 82 euros.
- Zone E1 subscription: 110.60 euros.
- Zone E2 subscription: 131.80 euros.
- Youth Pass for all areas: 20 euros.
- Senior Citizen Pass for all areas: Free.
- Pass for 10 trips: 12.20 euros.
This is how discounts are applied
On February 1, 2023, the Government launched free Cercanías and Media Distancia trains for regular users, as well as 50% discounts on regional transportation. The autonomous communities are obliged to contribute 20% of the 50% discount so that the State can transfer the funds to subsidize the 30% discount, all of which is intended for multi-trip passes and tickets. In the case of the Community of Madrid, the reduction rises to 60%, by increasing the regional contribution to 30%.
Specifically, since then in the region A 60% discount is applied to the price of monthly passes of public transport and 50% in the case of multi-trips. Single tickets and tourist tickets are excluded from this measure and the discount in the case of the Blue Card is 30%.
The measure has benefited some seven million Madrid users, with an estimated saving of 30 million euros per month for all citizens who use public transport.
Almeida: “He’s late”
After hearing the news, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida has assessed that the renewal of transport bonuses comes “late and poorly” and has wondered why it has only been extended for six months and not for the entire year.
“It seems that what they wanted was to save the file. Why six months? The year before was for one year. Why do they introduce that element of insecurity to citizens in an issue as fundamental as public transport?”, expressed the councilor from the anteroom of the Plenary in which the Madrid Budgets for 2025 were approved.
Thus, he has criticized that citizens are not sure for next year whether they will be able to count on the discounts or not. “Are we going to have the same soap opera we’ve had for the last two months about whether they agreed or didn’t agree?”he pointed out.
Martínez-Almeida has criticized that the Government, which is “talking about public transport all day”, cannot offer a “clear overview” to citizens about its use.
“This could have been taken much earlier and would have given more security. to both the citizens and the administrations that are involved, and bad because it seems inexplicable to me that they do it for six months. It seems to me that it is a lack of respect towards the Spanish people,” he censured.
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