Renfe reports improved train punctuality amid user disputes

Renfe reported an improvement in railway service regularity during August, noting that average delays in commercial services were reduced to five minutes, compared to nine minutes in the previous year. The company highlighted that its Rodalies services in Catalonia achieved a 92% punctuality rate during July and August, where punctuality is defined as arriving at the destination with a delay of no more than 10 minutes.

These figures have met with skepticism from user advocacy groups. Anna Gómez, spokesperson for the platform Dignitat a les Vies, challenged the accuracy of the data, stating it is “not at all credible.” The organization’s own tracking, which defines punctuality as arriving within five minutes of the scheduled time, reported a punctuality rate of only 37.1% for July, with an average delay of 13 minutes. The platform accused Renfe of “manufacturing its own statistics” and creating a “tailor-made virtual reality” that disregards the actual experience of passengers.