New high-speed train operator Ouigo arrives in Malaga with 80% of tickets sold for first weekend

Ouigo, the new low-cost operator to run trains on the high-speed railway line to Madrid, has arrived in Malaga today. And it has done it in a big way announcing that 80% of the tickets for this first weekend after the launch are already sold, according to Hélène Valenzuela, the company's general director, after dignitaries and authorities attended the unveiling of the first train this morning.

"Tickets have been on sale for a month and we are seeing a very dynamic market, a very good commercial reception; we estimate that with last minute sales we will reach close to 80% this weekend, which will be a first major milestone. In the middle of January, people in Madrid are looking for the sun and warmth of the Costa del Sol and it is going to be a success," she added in her appearance together with Alain Krakovitch, president of Ouigo Spain.

In addition, for February, the management team assured that tickets sales are "at a higher rate than even those we see when we launch other routes. Andalucía and Malaga specifically are very popular and we are very happy. For us, reaching the destinations is a commercial milestone, they represent two thirds of our business plan and we were really looking forward to being part of the railway offer, in Andalucía and specifically here".

The Alstom Euroduplex train arrived at around 10am, a few minutes early. However, it arrived by surprise: while the spotlight was on the stage where the official inauguration was to take place, at the end of the platform at María Zambrano station, the train appeared without warning on the track located at the opposite end of the station.

Afterwards, the company's executives accompanied a large delegation of local authority and business leaders on a tour of the interior of the train, where its striking configuration stands out, with two floors connected by interior stairs, as well as its seats, which are wider than usual. Among them were the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre; the President of the provincial authority, Francisco Salado; the Malaga sub-delegate of the Spanish government, Javier Salas and the delegate of the Junta de Andalucía Patricia Navarro, among many others.

From tomorrow (Thursday, 16 January) Ouigo will offer two departures in each direction: from Madrid trains will depart at 7.19am (arriving in Malaga at 10.17am) and 3.23pm (arriving at 6.11pm). Meanwhile, from Malaga they will set off at 11.15am (arrival in Madrid at 2.10pm) and at 7.50pm (arriving at 10.53pm). A maximum of 14,000 seats per week will be put on the market, and journeys will last between 2 hours and 48 and 3 hours.

Ouigo trains have the largest capacity in the Spanish market in a single convoy. The operator uses the Alstom Euroduplex, with double height (double-decker) carriages and 509 seats. Although it will not do so in the short term, it is also contemplating working with "multiple units", that is, trains in double composition, which in a single run would reach 1,018 seats.

The strong point of Ouigo's offer is price, and it advertises itself as a purely 'low cost' operator, with initial (and actual) fares starting at 9 euros. In fact, in a search conducted on 13 January, for short-term travel, there are tickets for the weekends after the inauguration and for the following days in January and February for 13, 15, 17, 19 and 25 euros each way (depending on the day). In fact, right now there is an introductory offer.

Although it is now starting with two services in each direction a day, Valenzuela announces that Ouigo is already working with Adif, the Spanish rail infrastructure manager, to be able to launch a third round-trip frequency. "I hope and trust that in the second half of the year we will be able to do so.