Spain has three companies competing in high-speed connections that essentially connect Madrid to regions and cities in the northeast, east and south of the country. In addition to the public company Renfe, the French company Ouigo (since May 2021) and the Italian company Iryo (since November 2022) are also on the Spanish market.
Renfe, however, continues to be the sole operator of connections between Madrid and the North of Spain (Galicia and Asturias), whose liberalization is planned for the new phase and should result in the entry of private companies in 2026, according to the Spanish government.
The first phase of liberalization ended this Thursday with the first Ouigo trains completing the connection between Madrid and Seville, in Andalusia, southern Spain.
This was also the country's first high-speed line, opened in 1992. Spain is now the European country with the largest high-speed rail network and the second in the world, after China.
According to official data, liberalization and consequent competition between companies caused a decrease in high-speed train ticket prices of around 30%.
However, all companies currently have losses from these operations, which amount to 600 million euros since 2021, in total.
Portugal hopes to have completed the first high-speed line, between Lisbon and Porto, in 2032, and the aim is to create a connection, in the same year, with Vigo, in Galicia, Spain.