Public transport subsidies 2025: extension and new discounts

The Council of Ministers held on 28 January 2025 authorised a six-month extension of public land transport subsidies for frequent travellers in operation since 2022, when the first measures were adopted in response to the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

As a result, Renfe's free passes - Cercanías, Rodalies, conventional Media Distancia - and state bus lines will be extended until 30 June 2025, as well as direct aid to autonomous communities and local entities to promote the reduction of at least 50% of the price of season tickets and multi-journey tickets for urban and metropolitan public transport.

From 1 July a new discount scheme will come into force with the same objective of encouraging the use of public transport. The Government will allocate a total investment of 1.608 billion euros to all these initiatives.

What is the purpose of extending the subsidies?

The extension of the subsidies marks the beginning of a transition period to give a definitive boost to collective public transport in everyday mobility, with an emphasis on the use of more sustainable alternatives that contribute to reducing the use of private vehicles, dependence on fossil fuels and, consequently, polluting emissions.

This initiative includes aid for state-owned transport and aid for urban and metropolitan transport.

Discounts on state-owned transport

In addition to extending the free Renfe passes, free travel cards and multi-journey tickets for state-owned bus lines will be extended to avoid asymmetries between the different means of land transport.

As a result, between 1 January and 30 June 2025, recurrent users for a given origin-destination route will be entitled to a 100% discount on the price of the ticket, provided that they meet certain conditions to be set out in a resolution by the Secretary of State.

Discounts on urban and metropolitan transport

The Government will subsidise the 30% transport rebate for a further six months to the autonomous communities and local entities that undertake to implement and complement the discounts so that the price of land transport services under their jurisdiction is reduced by at least half for regular travellers. In other words, they will have to finance a rebate of at least 20% from their budgets between 1 January and 30 June 2025.

The agreement also includes the particularities that will apply in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, where collective land public transport will remain free of charge for all regular passengers throughout 2025.

In order to access the aid, the autonomous communities and local authorities must submit an application via the e-Office of the Ministry of Transport before 30 April 2025, which must include a commitment to implement a 50% reduction in season tickets and multi-journey tickets for regular passengers from 1 January 2025.

Bicycle sharing

With the extension of the subsidy system until 30 June, Public Bicycle Systems will be included in these subsidies for the first time. Therefore, public bicycle service operators who wish to do so will have until 1 March to reduce their passes by 50%, in the same way as the rest of urban and metropolitan public transport.

The Government will assume 30% of this discount, with the administrations providing the service (local or supra-municipal entities) being obliged to cover the other 20%.

What discounts will there be after the extension?

The Royal Decree-Law approved on 28 January also includes a new public transport subsidy scheme that will come into force as of 1 July 2025.

The future system envisages the creation of a 20 euro monthly pass for all zones of each Cercanías hub and interoperable between the different hubs into which the national network is divided. It also includes free travel on all public transport for children under 15, special discounts for young people, lower fares for other frequent users and new subsidies to promote the use of bicycles as a means of daily transport.

State-owned bus services will have discounts of between 40 and 70% depending on the age and type of pass purchased.

As for urban and metropolitan regional and local transport, the Ministry will finance free travel for children under 15 years of age and a 50% discount for young people's passes. For all other tickets - except tourist, single and return tickets - a discount of at least 40% is promoted, to be co-financed at 20%.

At the same time, within the framework of this Royal Decree-Law, work is being carried out on a series of subsidies to increase the offer and improve the quality of public transport, with new lines or more frequencies, and to facilitate the purchase of electric bicycles for individuals and delivery companies.

Non official translation