The news of the free train passes was music to the ears of all those regular passengers who had to travel on this transport every day. However, after its application, the measure has ended up becoming a nightmare for them. How is it possible? Basically because since it was launched, most Media Distancia trains do not have any free seats until ten days before their departure.
It is not only due to the high demand, the problem lies mainly in the mischief of some users who reserve all the seats that the app allows since Renfe does not apply a penalty in case you do not even travel later. And of course, that is annoying the rest. Let’s see what’s going on.
“Complete” trains, but actually empty. It is what is being seen in many Spanish provinces since the system allows you to reserve a place and then not show up. Result? The trains appear complete on the platform and then travel almost empty. In fact, the Ministry of Transport already asks users to make correct use of reservations, but the difficulty in obtaining a seat leads them to do just the opposite. Here is the “trick”: they reserve seats on several trains to take the one that best suits them and “block” seats that are not occupied later. Since they don’t pay anything, they don’t care.
To the people who, as they now have free train tickets, reserve up to 4 seats at different times of the day: go ATPC.
There should be a sanction and take it away.
Renfe staff was now listening to him. The civic culture of this riffraff makes me sick.– Miguel Dieguez 🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@dieguez_miguel) September 13, 2022
The tendency. crowd of users they have made Twitter and other social networks their claim sheet, where they have been counting similar cases all week. “To the people who, as they now have free train tickets, reserve up to 4 seats at different times of the day: leave ATPC. There should be a sanction and take it away. The civic culture of this rabble makes me sick”, criticized the user dieguez_miguel. It is about a traveler affected by the collapse in the Atlantic axis of Ourense-Santiago-A Coruñawhere multiple booking cases pile up every day.
The Avant Cuenca-Madrid route is having similar problems, as explained in this article in Voices of Cuenca by the Cuenca AVE Users Association. Also in this report from El Periódico de España, travelers from other provinces, such as Malaga either Pamplonathey complain to Renfe on the networks mentioning similar incidents.
The mess in Galicia. The problem in the community has reached such a point that Renfe has reached its limit on the Atlantic axis, with more than 66,500 seats each week. The recurring users of the Ourense-Santiago-A Coruña axis have been demanding since the free passes began that Renfe adapt the supply of trains to the demand, since it is harming regular travelers who use the train to get to work.
The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) estimates that on each train leaving or departing from Vigo there are between 20 and 25 reserved seats left unoccupied. With these figures, there would be between 360 and 450 seats without possible use at the end of the day in each direction. Meanwhile, the Government delegate in Galicia, José Miñones, has appealed to the responsibility of users so as not to harm recurring travelers.
I, who travel every day Santiago – Coruña round trip, last week had no room at the usual time. I talked to the conductor knowing there would be gaps and he let me up. There was not just one place, there were many.
— Avid (@NinoLourido) September 13, 2022
What does Renfe say? At Magnet we have contacted Renfe and, despite being told that the demand has increased since the free bonuses were implemented and they have had some problems on the website, there has been anticipation in the face of the avalanche. They also emphasize that passengers use their common sense and show solidarity with other passengers when reserving more than one seat.
In this article in La Voz de Galicia, Renfe points out that they are “analyzing the measures to be adopted” and that for the moment a limitation has been implemented when formalizing on two consecutive trains, although that does not prevent them from continuing to reserve on several trains on the same day or even several seats on the same train.
Image: Flickr (ililo23)