High-speed and long-distance rail traffic in Spain increased by 15.9 per cent in 2014 to 29.6 million passengers.
The Spanish government said in a statement that passenger numbers had been growing consistently since February 2013. In 2014, AVE services experienced a 21.6 per cent increase in passengers, with long-distance services receiving a 7.5 per cent boost.
Subsequently, revenue from AVE and long-distance trains rose by 6.1 per cent on the previous year.
Last year, the Spanish government announced that it plans to open up a number of long-distance rail services to the private sector. Operators will soon be able to compete with Renfe and run conventional or high-speed services on corridors linking Madrid with the Castile-La Mancha, Valencia and Murcia regions.
