Overview
- Provisional INE data released Friday show high‑speed trains carried about 2.1 million passengers in February, down 32.1% year over year and the steepest drop since February 2021.
- Rail travel as a whole fell sharply as well, with interurban rail use down 15.8%, long‑distance services down 30%, commuter lines (Cercanías) down 13.8%, and medium‑distance down 29.3%.
- Press reports link the slump to the January 18 Adamuz crash and to service cuts, speed limits, and maintenance on key routes such as Madrid–Seville that reduced reliability.
- Overall public transport use was nearly flat at 470.1 million trips, as interurban buses grew 5% to more than 76.6 million riders and metro systems rose 3.6%, indicating a short‑term shift from rail.
- Renfe performance data cited in coverage show punctuality strains, with only about 35% of high‑speed and long‑distance trains arriving within five minutes and roughly 40% running 15 minutes late or more.