Renfe is taking a stand and looking for ways to avoid paying compensation for delays of more than 15 minutes on the AVE high-speed train.

The Spanish Congress of Deputies voted this Thursday in favor of reinstating the criteria for compensation for delays on Renfe's high-speed and long-distance trains. Specifically, thanks to the votes of Vox, Junts, ERC, Podemos, and the BNG, an amendment proposed by the PP (People's Party) was approved. sustainable mobility lawThe original criteria for compensation to AVE (high-speed train) users in cases of delays exceeding 15 minutes have been reinstated. Renfe, however, is already exploring ways to maintain the current compensation rates, approved in 2024, which only cover delays of at least 60 minutes. Sources at the Spanish rail operator confirm they are evaluating the legal framework to continue applying the existing compensation rates, which "remain the most advantageous in the sector." Company sources explain that the AVE is a commercial service covered by the 2015 railway sector law, which stipulates that it "must be provided under free competition and equal conditions with other operators." "It is unclear why this amendment only seeks to penalize Renfe, a Spanish public company, and not Ouigo or Iryo [...]. Making this demand of a single company, in a competitive environment like that of commercial services, condemns the company and its workers to compete at a disadvantage," company sources indicate. According to the amendment, starting next year, passengers who experience a delay of more than 15 minutes could claim a 50% discount on the ticket price, a percentage that will increase to 100% if the delay exceeds 30 minutes. The change represents a reversal of the elimination of compensation for 15- and 30-minute train delays, which had been implemented to only maintain compensation for delays of at least 60 minutes. Free transport in the Balearic and Canary Islands

The People's Party (PP) had opposed this criterion from the outset and took advantage of the passage of the Sustainable Mobility Law through the Senate, where it holds an absolute majority, to introduce an amendment that would force Renfe to reinstate its previous compensation policy. The Ministry of Transport, headed by Óscar Puente, also questioned the amendment, suggesting that its legal viability "needs to be examined" because it affects a company like Renfe compared to its competitors on high-speed lines, such as Iryo and Ouigo. The law, which incorporates contributions from virtually all parties, includes—through a Senate amendment endorsed by the Congress—free public transport in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Other significant amendments introduced by the PP in the Senate failed to garner enough votes to pass in the Congress, including those to freeze airport fees charged by Aena to airlines and to eliminate the "final cessation date" of the useful life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, in Extremadura.