The private high-speed operator begins to provide service between Madrid and Andalusia. In this first stage, programming starts with four daily services, two in each direction. The goal is to reach twelve in June in the case of Seville, ten in Malaga, two with a stop in Antequera, and eleven for Córdoba.
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The inaugural trip started from Madrid with a composition of eight cars, stopped in Córdoba, from where it left at 12:25 p.m. and arrived in Seville at 1:02 p.m. A day later, on March 31, a new stage begins with the opening of high-speed rail competition in Andalusia since the first line opened in April 1992.
Iryo launches an initial offer of four daily services, two in each direction, from Madrid Puerta de Atocha to Seville and the Málaga Málaga-María Zambrano station, with a stop in Córdoba. This programming that will be extended to twenty routes until next summer. In June there will be twelve services with Seville, 11 with Córdoba and 10 in Málaga, of which two will stop in Antequera. The operator begins its journey in Andalusia with schedules that start from early in the morning until late at night, with competitive prices, flexible tickets and four options on board.
According to company estimates, it is estimated that the average occupancy rate for these trains will be 75 percent, which on some dates, such as Easter, will be close to 100 percent. This figure is based on the preservation that has been carried out since the promotional campaign was launched at the beginning of March (see news) for the sale of 250,000 tickets at eighteen euros to travel to Andalusia. In addition, the forecast is that by the year 2025 there will be more than one million passengers originating and arriving in Santa Justa and around 2.5 million travelers in Andalusia as a whole.
Fleet
The route between Madrid to Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Antequera will be covered by part of the fleet of twenty ETR 1000 trains that Iryo acquired for 800 million euros to serve the Spanish market.