French rail operator Ouigo is planning to expand its high-speed train services, adding more destinations in Spain. While it was recently reported that France has banned some short-haul flights, Spain is planning to do the same. In the meanwhile, adding more high-speed train routes makes rail travel far more convenient than flying and reduces travel’s carbon footprint.

Ouigo to add new high-speed train routes to more destinations in Spain

The announcement was made on Monday, May 29, that French railway operator, Ouigo, is expanding its presence in the high-speed network in Spain. In fact, the company had notified the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) of its intentions.

It was the head of Ouigo in Spain Hélène Valenzuela who initially broke the news. At the time, she was attending a conference on the liberalization of rail passenger transport organized by CNMC.

OUIGO España also made an announcement on Twitter, writing, “We are getting the taste of reaching more and more cities and today we wanted to share with you the illusion that makes us continue to bring the most affordable high-speed service to new places. There are still long months to go, but we give you the spoiler now: See you soon!”

More high-speed rail routes to Alicante province and Murcia

After the recent arrival of high-speed rail in the Murcia region, Ouigo plans to incorporate new rail routes to the city of Elche in the Alicante province and in the Levante corridor into Murcia.

The latest move comes after Ouigo formalized its arrival in Alicante some weeks back. La Información reports that the company now plans to provide two daily round-trip services, making four new routes in total.

Even better, Valenzuela says the new links with Elche and Murcia are affordable and that she believes the additions to the high-speed network will work.

Meanwhile, these destinations are added to new services from Madrid to Valladolid and Segovia, although they will first need to be reviewed by the CNMC. For that reason, they must pass a market test and the Ouigo said the new services will not arrive until 2025.

Ouigo working on a high-speed rail network in Andalucía

In the meantime, Ouigo is working to complete the services in Andalucía. These will involve high-speed rail services to the cities of Sevilla and Málaga. Moreover, it is foreseeable that the new train services will also stop in Cordoba. With all three iconic cities being major tourist destinations in Spain, this is good news indeed.

In fact, the arrival of the new Ouigo double-decker trains is scheduled for the second half of 2024. This will come once the high-speed line has been approved, as it has a different signaling system than the rest of the rail network.

Meanwhile, Valenzuela is convinced there is room in Spain for the three rail operators and four brands from Renfe, AVE, Avlo, Ouigo and Iryo. Moreover, Iryo is the latest operator to enter the Spanish market but has no plans as yet to expand its offer. The company’s CEO, Simone Gorini said: “It is necessary to see if there is sufficient demand.”

The arrival of new high-speed rail networks is good news for locals and visitors alike.