The Government calculates an expense of 231 million euros for the free trains until December

MADRID, 3 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Government has estimated that the measures announced to make multi-trip Suburban-Medium Distance subscriptions free and the 50% discount on Avant trains and on some AVE trains in Castilla y León and Aragón will cost 231 million euros.

According to the document of the decree law approved in the extraordinary Council of Ministers on Monday, consulted by Europa Press, the gratuity and the 50% discount will imply 201 million euros, to which 1.9 million are added for the discount in the Avants and another 27.8 million for the costs of implementing this measure.

In the first place, the forecast points to an increase of 27,400 travelers in the Cercanías and Media Distancia, which will go from welcoming 144,000 people to 170,600 in this period of time. Regarding the Avant, 152,000 travelers will benefit.

Likewise, the cost of the support staff that will work in the stations --estimated at a reinforcement of 1,000 people-- will amount to 14.9 million euros, to which is added the communication campaign of 10 million euros and other expenses of 3 million euros.

The hypotheses used to evaluate the economic impact of the measures are that 50% of the travelers with passes will switch to the new multi-trip pass, that 70% of the occasional pass users will switch to the new multi-trip pass and that it will increase by 30% the demand compared to what would exist if there were no discounts.

The decree also details that the budgetary impact of the line of direct aid to railway companies affected by the rise in fuel prices will be 1.9 million euros, while direct aid to carriers (trucks, buses, taxis , VTC, ambulances and vans) will amount to 450 million euros.