Tickets for commercial services including on AVE high-speed and long-distance trains are now available until December 12, with the level of service increasing by 46% from 67 to 98 trains.

Renfe will also increase the number of tickets for sale to 30,000 per day for long distance and high-speed services - an increase of 50% compared with previous sale restrictions. This number will be increased by Renfe as the recovery from the pandemic continues. To accommodate the increase in ticket sales, the company will also increase available parking spaces at stations by 30,000.

The move comes as Renfe receives certification from the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (Aenor) that the anti-Covid-19 protocols introduced in trains and stations meet the organisation’s strict health and safety requirements.

Renfe’s protocols, the Safe Train Objective (STO) programme, is intended to reassure passengers when travelling and encourage them to return to public transport as travel restrictions are lifted.

Precautions taken as part of the STO include spacing out passengers on platforms and in coaches, regularly cleaning and disinfecting the interiors of trains, the requirement for all passengers and staff to wear masks onboard trains, as well as the withdrawal of all restaurant services for the foreseeable future.