In February 2019 Renfe will begin offering lower cost train fares between Madrid and Barcelona. The state railway company recently announced the introduction of EVA, a budget version of the high-speed AVE train that currently operates on the Madrid-Barcelona route.

EVA will operate at similar speeds to the AVE and make the trip between Madrid (Atocha) and Barcelona in 2.5 hours, but rather than travel to Barcelona Sants station in the city center, it will take passengers to El Prat station near the airport (12 km from the city center). EVA fares will be €65 one way /  €130 for a round trip, which is a 25% discount off the current AVE prices. The budget-oriented EVA trains will not offer a business class and will squeeze more passengers onto a train by adding more seats (6 seats in a row vs. 4 on the AVE).

The new low-cost EVA service will begin service in February 2019, and if the test run is successful it may be expanded to other AVE routes, such as Madrid-Seville, in the future.

For more information from El País newspaper, click here

Photo credit: Renfe

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