Renfe accelerates its digital revolution and enters the MaaS market

Since high-speed rail arrived in Spain in 1992 with the Madrid-Seville line, the Spanish state railway operator, Renfe has been gaining traction to become one of the most technologically advanced railway operators in the world.

Now Renfe wants to sprint from being a rail operator to an integral mobility operator, reorienting its future business model and paying particular attention to digital transformation.

Renfe's new strategy aims to go beyond the time the user spends on the train. The Spanish state railway operator intends to move towards a model that is called mobility as a service (MaaS) and to this aim, the name 'Renfe as a Service' (RaaS) has been officially registered.

The objective is to integrate train tickets with last-mile options available in biggest metropolitan areas, such as car, scooter and bike-sharing services, local public transport, etc., and allow users to travel with only one ticket which will be available on a smartphone. In 2020 the first objectives should become a reality across Spain with the potential to expand abroad as time goes on.

More specifically, the company established agreements with Cabify, the FreeNow taxi platform and bus services in Madrid and Barcelona. In the development of the project, Renfe is counting on the support of Iomob, a startup that participates in Trenlab, Renfe's technology-based business accelerator. Users will be able to contract different services on the Renfe platform that will allow them to configure trips with various services.

In order to develop all this, at the end of the year, Renfe will present a strategic plan for the next five years to strengthen the company. The strategic plan is also associated with a renewal of the workforce and the inclusion of young digital talents effectively lowering the average age of employees.

Source: Story first published by El Espanol in July