Ouigo, the low-cost railway company of SNCF, has received authorization from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) to offer four daily journeys on the Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid line, according to information from El Country. This is the first time that a Renfe competitor operates outside the three main lines linking the capital to Seville, Barcelona and Alicante.
The Ouigo company, which arrived in Spain in May 2021, is now the third operator of low-cost high-speed trains, alongside Avlo (Renfe) and Iryo. The CNMC press release released this Wednesday explains that the opening of this new line is possible because “this does not compromise the economic balance of the public service contract signed between the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Renfe Voyageurs”. The regulatory body also takes into consideration the strong growth in demand on the Madrid-Segovia-Valladolid route, with average train occupancy exceeding 90%. With this new line, Ouigo will try to satisfy ever-increasing demand.