Urban public transportation in Spain - statistics & facts
The Spanish public system of urban transportation is key for connecting the country’s metropolises with their peripheries as well as for providing an alternative to private transport. In 2019 alone, more than 3.1 million passengers used urban transportion. However, in the following year urban transportation use plummeted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rapid transit, also known as metro or subway transit, is an attractive means of transportation for commuters in big metropolises. Metro use in the Mediterranean nation is highly concentrated; Madrid and Barcelona were the cities that recorded, by far, the largest volume of subway passengers in 2019, 677.5 and 411.9 thousand, respectively. Yet, despite their status as economic hubs, these were not the cities that witnessed the largest drop of subway used due to COVID-19. Rather, Seville, Malaga and Palma were most affected.
Rail services
With over 2.3 thousand kilometers, length of urban rail networks in Spain is similar to that of the UK, and longer than the networks in Italy and France (except for the tram line). Commuter trains were the most popular type of train service in 2019: registering 569.7 million passengers,they had more than tenfold the number of users of long distance trains.Rapid transit, also known as metro or subway transit, is an attractive means of transportation for commuters in big metropolises. Metro use in the Mediterranean nation is highly concentrated; Madrid and Barcelona were the cities that recorded, by far, the largest volume of subway passengers in 2019, 677.5 and 411.9 thousand, respectively. Yet, despite their status as economic hubs, these were not the cities that witnessed the largest drop of subway used due to COVID-19. Rather, Seville, Malaga and Palma were most affected.
