OUIGO launches a new high-speed line which connects Madrid to the Region of Murcia, with a stop in Elche. Travelers will arrive at their destination in 2h45. The management of the French company also specifies that since its emergence on the Spanish railway market Train tickets are down about 40%which encourages better quality tourism and leaves a greater economic capacity for visitors to spend.
The inauguration of this new line to the Region of Murcia, passing through Elche, was carried out by Hélène Valenzuela, General Manager of OUIGO Spain; Federico Pareja, Commercial Director and MK of OUIGO Spain; Fernando López Miras, President of the Region of Murcia, alongside other institutional figures, such as José Ballesta, Mayor of Murcia, among others.
Valenzuela called “historic day for the company, for Murcia and for Spain” The directive also defended that “railway liberalization arrives at Region of Murcia and starting this Thursday, you can enjoy a sustainable and affordable option for high-speed travel. “We want to bring the history, culture and gastronomy of these territories to the rest of the communities.”
“We are pioneers in the democratization of High Speed and we contribute to the structuring of the Spanish territory. Since 2021 we have continued to grow, 11 million travelers have traveled with OUIGO. Murcia will be linked to Madrid in a very competitive period, everything is possible thanks to an incredible team,” added Valenzuela.
11 million travelers by 2021
In the same intervention, they affirm from Ouigo that since the emergence of their company in the Spanish high-speed sector, “Train tickets have dropped by 40% and, as a result, tourists can spend more at their destination, thus promoting ‘quality tourism’.
Specifically, the new low-cost train line leaves from Chamartín Clara Campoamor station, crosses Elche and reaches Murcia El Carmen. In this way, OUIGO not only extends its expansion in Spain, but also launches a new line with which compete with Renfe.
“We need attractive prices so that citizens abandon the car and the plane and take the train, which is more sustainable and contributes to the decarbonization of the country. Our arrival will have a positive impact on the social and economic fabric of the region of Murcia and Elche and its surroundings.“, Valenzuela explained.
THE Region of Murcia and Elche They have a very attractive and growing commercial infrastructure, with industrial and technological parks that offer opportunities to companies of different sectors and sizes. Their quality of life, as well as their cultural and gastronomic offer, make these cities exceptional destinations to live, work or enjoy leisure time. Thanks to this openness, OUIGO now connects Murcia to Madrid directly in two hours and 45 minutes, with Elche in less than 25 minutes and with Albacete in 1 hour and 8 minutes. These competitive journey times are possible because there are no stops in Alicante.
The line has four daily services, two outward and two return, which can be accessed by 14,000 passengers each week. Tickets, available since May 22 on the OUIGO website and in its APP, depart from usual general rate of 9 euroswith fixed rate of 7 euros for children aged 4 to 13, and free for children up to 3 years old provided they travel in the arms of an adult.
New transportation alternative
Families, the self-employed, young people, students and other groups who could not access high-speed internet before the arrival of OUIGO now have the possibility of travelling on trains offering 509 seats in a single unit, with a cafeteria attended by its own staff, XL seats and the OUIFUN entertainment platform.
Furthermore, as a commitment to quality, OUIGO is the only high-speed operator in Spain to compensate users in the event of a delay of more than 30 minutes.
Alongside its arrival in Elche and Murcia, OUIGO is about to take its next step: arrival in Seville, Malaga and Cordoba, for which the company has invested 40 million euros just to adapt their trains to the LZB signalling systemand whose inauguration is planned for this fall.
Controversial
Valenzuela, for the attention of the media, raised the controversy which exists with the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, headed by Oscar Puente, regarding a pending complaint against OUIGO for unfair competition. “I am not aware of any pending complaints.” ” he said.
Let us recall that Puente announced last June that Renfe was preparing a complaint against OUIGO before the European Commission (EC) for having “against the liberalization process” railway that Adif and all operators agreed in 2020.
“Of course, we are ready to collaborate in whatever is necessary“always at the service of customers, of the improvement of the railway system and its quality,” said Valenzuela, who said he was at the disposal of the authorities.
Results in line with your objectives
Asked about the company’s operating results and expectations for 2024 and 2025, Valenzuela said they are “fully online” with its objectives. In fact, he defended that the company “improves” its operating results in 2023.
So, he explained, it is precisely this operational result that we must look at.in this launch period, because we are following the launch period and we have not deployed our entire transport plan.
It has been suggested that Ouigo aims to achieve an operational balance in 2024. “We have already said it in the past and we are doing very well, in line with our objectives,” according to Valenzuela, who said that 2025 “will already be the first year with the entire transport plan because after Murcia we also have to open the south, Andalusia.
“From this point on, the model can be fully deployed and we will achieve a positive result”has settled.
