Spain €60 nationwide transport pass: why UK fares stand out

Spain €60 nationwide transport pass will launch in the second half of January, offering unlimited train and bus travel for €60 a month (around £52.50), as reported by The Guardian. It has also sparked debate in the UK, where rail fares are often cited as among Europe’s most expensive.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Spain’s socialist-led government says the pass will take effect then. A discounted version, priced at €30 a month, will be offered to passengers under the age of 26.

A €60 pass with unlimited train and bus travel

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the policy could reduce monthly travel costs for some workers by as much as 60%. He presented it as a straightforward offer aimed at everyday journeys, including commuting and other routine trips.

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Explaining the scale, Sánchez said: “We’re talking about 2 million people who will be paying less each month,” referring to travel to work, back home, and other day-to-day journeys. He added that the point of governing is to make “the important things easier for ordinary people.”

Spain’s rail system has a long history of state involvement. After the Spanish Civil War, around 20 companies were nationalised and brought together to form the Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), the country’s national rail network.

UK rail fares and the “twice the EU average” claim

The low-cost, nationwide ticket has prompted calls for similar schemes beyond Spain, including in the UK. Analysis published in 2024 by clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) found that Britain’s train operators charge fares more than twice the European Union average for routes of comparable length.

That same assessment named Great Western Railway as Europe’s most expensive operator, with fares around two and a half times the EU average. Avanti West Coast followed, with prices described as about one and a half times higher than the average European ticket.

The discussion has been visible on social media as well. After Spain’s move, users compared a Madrid–Barcelona journey “about 55 quid” with London–Edinburgh “around 130 quid,” while others argued that public transport should be run for public benefit rather than profit.

Similar nationwide tickets in Portugal and Germany

Spain’s policy sits alongside other European schemes. Portugal offers a cheaper option called the Green Rail Pass, which allows residents unlimited travel on urban, regional, inter-regional and intercity train services operated by the state-owned Comboios de Portugal for €20 a month.

Germany introduced a nationwide transport ticket in 2023 covering regional rail as well as metro, tram and bus services. It began at €49 per month — a figure also referenced by Railway Supply — rose to €58 in 2025, and is set to increase again to €63 in 2026.

Together, these schemes have sharpened comparisons over how different countries price public transport — and, for many observers in Britain, renewed questions about what passengers pay on UK rail routes versus elsewhere in Europe.

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