RENFE is scrapping the ticketing system that has left Spanish rail passengers tearing their hair out for years.
The state operator will launch the first phase of a new booking platform on its website and app on October 28, with the old system switched off entirely on January 25, 2027.
At first, the new platform will only sell tickets for journeys from January 25 onwards. Trips before then will still be booked through the old system, and passengers will be sent automatically to the right one depending on when they travel.
Renfe president Alvaro Fernandez Heredia admitted the current website had become “the subject of satire by every comedian in the country.”
He said the problem ran far deeper than the website itself. The existing system relies on almost 400 linked applications, some of them 20 to 30 years old and written in outdated programming languages.
The overhaul will cost around €160 million. Siemens is supplying the core technology, and Accenture is fitting it to Renfe’s needs.
Renfe promises faster searches, fewer steps and clearer fare comparisons showing exactly what each ticket includes and what it costs to change or cancel.
Error messages will no longer wipe details already entered, and passengers will be able to change bookings, switch names, request invoices and claim compensation from one place.
Adding pets and bicycles will also be easier. Fernandez Heredia said passengers who know their journey should be able to buy a ticket in four clicks.
The same system will eventually cover ticket offices, machines, travel agencies, phone sales and onboard sales.
The launch was timed to avoid the Christmas rush, and Renfe says it expects no virtual queues, even at peak times.
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