The Ministry of Public Works is proposing to close 48 state-run rail routes and reduce services by an average of 32% on 127 others in order to save €86.5 million a year.
The lines to be closed are middle-distance routes identified as least efficient by ministry consultancy Ineco, with an average occupancy rate of 8.4% and whose income barely covers 16.2% of their cost. These routes are used by roughly 1.65 million passengers a year and include the Valladolid-Ávila, Madrid-Ávila and Vigo-Ourense-Ponferrada lines and a number of routes between Extremadura and Huelva. The plan will now be discussed in parliament and is subject to amendments.