No major incidents beyond some queues on first day of free train tickets

No major incidents were seen during the first morning rush hour after the introduction of free Renfe train tickets for short (Rodalies) and medium-distance journeys on Thursday.

Some stations had longer than usual queues for ticket machines, as witnessed by Catalan News reporters, as some passengers waited until the first day of the new measure to buy the passes, with some struggling to find the right ticket among the various options.

Renfe staff helped passengers find the option 'recurrent' in machines, which is the one to select when looking for the free passes, and they also gave them out from ticket desks just asking for an ID number and a €10 deposit.

Renfe Rodalies commuter train users must use the ticket at least 16 times between September and December to get a refund. 

This measure only affects journeys exclusively done by Renfe trains. FGC trains, underground, bus, tram, or a combination between Renfe services and the others, require ATM integrated tickets. These tickets are between 30% (T-Casual, 10-ticket pass) and 50% (T-Usual, unlimited tickets in a month) cheaper. 

During rush hour some minor problems were reported, such as certain ticket machines not having been updated to deliver the passes, which were in general resolved within the first hours of service.

A total of 140,000 free Renfe tickets have been reserved in Catalonia already, while commuters bought almost 60,000 partially subsidized public transport passes on Thursday alone. 

'I am now switching from underground to train'

Passengers did not sense bigger crowds than usual: "I have not felt any difference, I have had a good journey," said Eva. 

Talking to the Catalan News Agency, commuters welcomed the subsidized tickets and some will change their habits: "I used to travel to work by underground and tram, but I am now switching to the train in order to save €20 or €30," explained Toni. 

"Every day I use the train and the bus, so I will benefit [from the measures], since I will go from paying €53 to €20," expressed Cristina. 

One passenger who also welcomed the discounts also said that "it is a bit concerning to think about what the impact could be of the train suddenly being free."