Overview
- The lower house approved an amendment to reinstate pre-2024 AVE compensation thresholds—50% after 15 minutes and 100% after 30 minutes.
- Renfe said it will seek a legal route to keep the current policy of 50% refunds after 60 minutes and full refunds after 90 minutes.
- The Transport Ministry labeled the measure populist and cautioned it could put the public operator at a disadvantage versus private competitors.
- The broader law’s passage advances Spain’s mobility framework linked to €10 billion in EU funds, but how and when the refund rule would take effect remains unclear.
- Operator policies vary and EU passenger-rights rules are less generous, raising questions about applying a stricter standard solely to Renfe.