From 1 September to 31 December 2022, Renfe is offering free Cercanías, Rodalies and Media Distancia passes to frequent travellers, with a deposit and a minimum of 16 journeys. These are the conditions.
On 1 September 2022 Renfe’s free passes begin for people who travel often on Cercanías, Rodalies and conventional Media Distancia services, one of the government’s measures against inflation. They were created by Royal Decree-law 14/2022 of 1 August, which raised from 50% to 100% the discount on multi-journey tickets set by Royal Decree-law 11/2022 of 25 June. Congress ratified it on 25 August.
How they work
The conditions were set by the resolution of 12 August 2022 of the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 18 August. On Cercanías and Rodalies there is one pass for each area, valid for unlimited journeys between any origin and destination within it. On Media Distancia a separate pass is needed for each route, valid in both directions between the chosen origin and destination. All of them run from 1 September, or from the purchase date if later, to 31 December 2022.
To issue a pass, the traveller’s ID number or mobile phone is registered. Passes have been available since 24 August and can be obtained throughout the validity period. For Cercanías and Rodalies they can be obtained through the Cercanías app, which generates a QR code and a seven-digit code, and also at ticket offices and self-service machines. In Barcelona the QR code does not open the gates directly: it is exchanged at a ticket office or machine for a physical pass, or loaded onto a card the traveller already has. For Media Distancia, passes are obtained at machines and ticket offices. While this pass is on sale, Renfe suspends sales of its usual passes.
The deposit and the minimum number of journeys
The free travel comes with conditions. A deposit of €10 must be paid for a Cercanías or Rodalies pass and €20 for each Media Distancia pass, with exceptions such as journeys within the Rodalies areas of Lleida, Tarragona and Girona, where the deposit is also €10. Only the large-family discount applies to the deposit.
The deposit is refunded at the end of the validity period if the holder has made 16 journeys or more with that pass. If the minimum is not reached, the deposit is treated as compensation and is not returned. Those who paid by credit card get the money back automatically on the same card; those who paid in cash must claim it at a ticket office, a customer service office or another Renfe after-sales channel. Anyone who already holds one of the usual passes keeps it until it expires or can ask for a proportional refund.
Other discounts and what to check
Multi-journey tickets on Avant, the medium-distance service on high-speed lines, get a 50% discount if bought between 1 September and 31 December. The state will pay Renfe €201 million to compensate for the lost revenue. According to the Ministry of Transport, Renfe had received 383,992 pre-registrations and 91,947 pass applications on 24 August, the first day of sales.
How much is saved depends on use. The Ministry gives the example of a couple with two children who travel by train every day: in Barcelona they would save about €750 over the four months, almost €190 a month. Before paying the deposit it is worth working out how many journeys will be made, because the 16-journey minimum applies to each pass. Anyone organising travel for a workforce can also take it into account: the passes end on 31 December 2022, the date set by the decree.
A free pass only pays off if it is used: count the journeys before paying the deposit.
This article is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and it does not take anyone’s particular circumstances into account.
