French railway company launches its first high-speed line in Spain

French railway company launches its first high-speed line in Spain.

OUIGO made its maiden voyage between Madrid and Barcelona on Friday, May 7, with one of its double-decker trains.

The new high-speed line operator made its first trip on Spanish rails between Madrid and Barcelona-Sants with several personalities onboard, including Pedro Saura, Secretary of State at the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Programs, Isabel Pardo de Vera, President of Adif, Christophe Fanichet, President and CEO of SNCF Travelers, Hélène Valenzuela, MD of OUIGO España, and Alain Krakovitch, Director of Voyages SNCF.

“With this new step, this pioneering project in Spain makes the liberalisation of rail transport a reality in the country,” said the firm in a statement.

Adif President Fanichet added: “It is a great pride for SNCF Voyageurs to be present at this important moment for Spain, and to be the first operator to make the opening of the high-speed market a reality and accessible to all.

After eight years operating in France, OUIGO attributes its success to its cheap prices, “its simple and digital purchasing system and the values ​​of simplicity and user-friendliness associated with the brand”.

“For this project, we mobilised the best of our SNCF know-how. Ouigo Spain is not a copy and paste of the French offer, it meets the expectations of the Spaniards,” explained Director of Voyages SNCF, Krakovitch.

OUIGO will now make regular trips from Monday, May 10, on the Madrid-Barcelona line, with stops in Zaragoza and Tarragona (when the three lines open) and a daily offer of 5,000 seats.

The company claims to have sold up to 1,000 tickets per hour by offering high-speed travel for fares as low as €9.

OUIGO is offering 10 daily trips from Madrid to Barcelona in just two hours and 30 minutes.

Después de muchos meses de trabajo, estamos orgullosos de anunciar que empezamos los trayectos con nuestros trenes @OUIGO_Es. En el acto contaremos con autoridades y representantes del sector ferroviario, respetando en todo momento las medidas sanitarias. #OUIGOLetsGo pic.twitter.com/ZbJpWJpRN8

— Helene VALENZUELA (@HeleneVALENZU10) May 7, 2021