-* A new Smart High Speed service will be launched in 2019 on the Madrid-Barcelona line before being extended to other routes across the country. Tickets on this new service will be 20-25% cheaper than existing ‘Ave’ High Speed Train services.
- Eva harnesses the full potential of new technology, integrating innovative services to provide a more personalized and fully connected door-to-door travel experience for customers which dovetails seamlessly with other transport modes.
- Renfe will continue to fine tune Eva services hand in hand with customers as part of a ‘shared-creativity’ process.
Speaking in Barcelona, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Íñigo de la Serna, announced the launch of Renfe’s new high-speed Smart Train service. The new train service, called ‘EVA’ is completely digital, offers individually tailored pricing, door-to-door services, includes links to local tourist information and offers a versatile working environment for business travellers, and better sustainability overall.
Almost ten years after its launch, the direct high-speed AVE link from Madrid to Barcelona alone has already clocked up a total of over 35 million passengers. The Madrid to Barcelona HS link recorded a year on year increase in passenger numbers of 7.6% in 2017, bringing the total count of travellers to over 4.1 million, representing 65% of the transport market for this route, shared with airlines.
Eva is a new concept launched by Renfe that draws on the best of its high speed service but which is designed to appeal to a broader customer base, expanding Renfe’s product offering.
Eva is the next generation of services that builds on existing models, i.e. the original high speed service Ave, the subsequent lower-cost AvCity service and then the international AVE+TGV brand. Eva Smart Trains are designed around a core of new technology and seek to meet individual customer needs, targeting consumers that up until now were still opting to travel by car: small groups, young people and families.
Eva marks a new era in travel for a new type of traveller looking for real-time personalized services that match their profile, i.e. fares that are 20-25% below traditional AVE prices.
As pointed out by the Minister for Transport, Eva adds to and bridges gaps in the existing high speed product range, whilst drawing maximum benefit from available technologies and all the advantages of innovation and digitalization, and offers tailored solutions.
As such, the Minister emphasized the added value of this new service which aims to satisfy the real needs of passengers, in a product characterized by intermodality, speed, digitalization, sustainability and the image of the future it projects.
Over the coming months, Renfe will be finalizing the Eva product in a ‘shared-creativity’ initiative in association with customers. Through work in qualitative focus groups, the company will add the finishing touches to the brand and finalize product content and services to be offered.
Smart High Speed
Eva will also offer the latest in marketing technology, communications and tourist services, not just transport. The whole system will be entirely paperless, with one pass will including the electronic ticket for all transport modes to be used along the journey. Biometric data passenger recognition will also be available.
With Eva, passengers will be able to remain connected to the internet throughout their journey, via wifi, online communication and groups chats – including amongst passengers. This last feature for example, will enable customers to link up with other travellers to share transport for the last leg of a journey. A dedicated App will allow customers to explore the areas they pass through during their journey in augmented reality mode or access information about what there is to see and what’s on at their final destination. The new high speed system will also allow passengers to remain connected with central Renfe management and communications services.
Eva journeys will offer door-to-door services. Customers will be able to bundle all stages of their trip into a single ticket, covering taxis, local trains, metros and hire cars. Eva trains themselves will also have flexible seating areas adaptable to small groups (2, 4 or 6 people), making it easier for fellow passengers to enjoy their trip, work or adapt spaces for special purposes.
A constant desire to arrive sooner
Eva will run on carefully selected high-speed routes. The El Prat station will be the central hub for Eva services in Spain. Current plans are to launch Eva trains between Barcelona and Madrid, via Camp de Tarragona with fives services in each direction per day.
This route has the largest potential in terms of traffic volume and passenger-shift to rail. El Prat as a station is also ideally placed for intermodal integration, car parking and is easily accessible from the whole of the Barcelona metropolitan area.
(Source: Renfe)
