What the already demanded Alicante, which is preparing its Bonfires party, lacked was a new high-speed train connection that would connect with Madrid. Yesterday the first commercial trip of the iryo train was completed between the Chamartín-Clara Campoamor stations in Madrid (it left at 07:45 a.m.), arriving at the Alicante Station (at 10:10 a.m.) and stopping at Albacete-Los Llanos and its entry into circulation allows the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, to predict that “a record summer” awaits the city in terms of tourism.
Reservations in hotels and tourist accommodation “are practically complete” for the upcoming Alicante festivities, commented the mayor, because as this newspaper found, on platforms such as Booking, 98% of hotel beds are no longer available between 23 and June 25, a big party weekend in the Alicante capital.
In this first weekend of circulation there are still tickets available at prices starting from 19 euros. Thus, this Saturday you can travel from Alicante to Madrid in two available routes -12:25 p.m. or 7:35 p.m.- for 21 and 31 euros, respectively. On the contrary, you can buy tickets for Alicante from Madrid on the 3:45 p.m. train for 28 euros. With the inauguration yesterday, the new operator begins its operations with four frequencies (two in each direction) and with tickets starting at 18 euros.
Each train has a total capacity of 430 passengers, with which they aspire to transport 900 passengers one way and 900 back. In total, close to 2,000 daily passengers are expected, which together with the lines operated by Renfe and Ouigo, the company estimates will cause an economic impact in the city of 10.2 million euros.
The company anticipates around 2,000 expected daily commuters
The line will promote “prices for all needs”, as highlighted yesterday by the company’s general director, Simone Gorini, who stressed that iryo “completes” its development phase as it is already on all the main Spanish high-speed routes. November 25, 2022 between Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona, and just a few weeks later, on December 16, it arrived in Valencia and Cuenca.
Continuing with its roadmap, on March 31 it inaugurated the connection with Andalusia, reaching Córdoba, Málaga and Seville. Today, June 2, it was the turn of Albacete, Alicante and Antequera, and next June 15, it will arrive at Camp de Tarragona.
For Xavier Flores, Secretary General for Infrastructure at the Ministry of Transport, “the success of liberalization is, without a doubt, a shared success that benefits citizens. The entry of a third railway operator is revolutionizing the Spanish High Speed market and the mobility sector in general”, he highlighted during the event held at the Castillo de Santa Bárbara.
Adif grows more in the Valencian Community
Adif sources highlighted yesterday, EFE reports, that in the first four months of 2023 high-speed rail traffic has increased by 37.7%, thus consolidating its growth at levels above pre-pandemic levels. The greatest growth has occurred on the lines between Madrid and the Valencian Community, with an increase of 77.3% compared to last year, above the Madrid-Barcelona (up 44.5%), Madrid-Valladolid -Galicia (with 18.5% more) and Madrid-Andalusia (with an increase of 19%). In addition, they reported that they are already working on a “second phase of the liberalization” of passenger transport by rail to extend it to other rail lines, with the aim of “continuing to open the capacity of the rail network so that the contribution and advantages of the liberalization reach a greater number of provinces”.
