Increase in overall passenger activity across transport modes
In February, the number of people choosing air travel to explore the country rose sharply, surpassing the two hundred percent mark in year over year comparisons. AVE rail services also surged, recording more than three times the volume seen in the previous February after a substantial first quarter rebound. This reflects a broad uptick in domestic mobility across air and rail networks.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that over 2.2 million passengers used air transport in the second month of the year, while rail carried about 1.85 million travelers for long-distance journeys. The AVE high-speed rail network alone served around 1.2 million travelers in this segment, highlighting the strong shift toward fast intercity connections.
Rail transport overall reached nearly 39.7 million passengers, an increase of about 55 percent. Within rail, Cercanías commuter services carried roughly 35.9 million users, up about 49.5 percent; medium distance services saw around 1.9 million riders, a jump of 102.8 percent; and long distance services attracted approximately 1.85 million travelers, rising by nearly 199 percent.
For intercity travel, bus services carried 47.1 million passengers in February, with the market showing a 46.9 percent rise from the same month a year earlier. Maritime transport also rose, increasing by about 114.8 percent.
Public transport statistics from INE show total passenger numbers reaching 327.7 million in February, up 42.6 percent year over year. Urban mobility advanced by 42.7 percent, while intercity travel rose 52.9 percent, underscoring broad momentum across travel modes. [INE]
Urban transport growth
Urban mobility exceeded 200 million users in February, up 42.7 percent from the prior February. In particular, metro usage expanded by about 50.2 percent year over year. Seville posted the strongest gain among major cities with roughly a 101.8 percent increase, while Bilbao showed a lower rise around 39.6 percent. [INE]
The highest regional increases in metro areas occurred in Istanbul for cities with metro access, followed by Valencia with a 57.6 percent rise. Bilbao registered a smaller gain at 21.4 percent. Bus transport across urban areas climbed 37.7 percent year over year, with the strongest increases seen in the Region of Murcia at 79.5 percent, the Community of Valencia at 61.1 percent, and the Principality of Asturias at 53.4 percent. Aragon, Canary Islands, and the Basque Country posted more modest gains, around 16 to 25 percent. [INE]
Private urban transport also grew as part of the broader mobility rebound, with more than 38 million users in February, up 22.4 percent from the previous year. Private transport overall exceeded 30.6 million users, rising 4.9 percent, while school-related travel and work commutes showed smaller but positive gains of 6.1 percent and 0.6 percent respectively. [INE]
On-demand and private transportation options registered strong activity, handling more than 7.4 million travelers, a surge of 290.8 percent over the same month in the prior year. This reflects a growing preference for flexible and on-demand mobility in urban areas. [INE]
Intercity travel expansion
Intercity transportation attracted over 89.6 million passengers in February, marking a 52.9 percent year-over-year rise. Among transport types, air travel increased the most, up 234.5 percent, followed by maritime transport at 114.8 percent, rail at 55.1 percent, and bus at 46.9 percent. Environmental indicators show a 42 percent gain in bus transport and a 49.5 percent rise in rail transport. [INE]
Average trip distance across bus travel grew by 58 percent, with rail distances up 102.8 percent. Long-distance bus travel extended by 164.4 percent, and rail travel by 199.3 percent. Notably, AVE rail services expanded by 213.2 percent in long-distance segments. [INE]
Private, on-demand, and flexible travel
Private and on-demand transportation saw traffic of about 38 million users in February, up 22.4 percent year over year. Private passenger travel surpassed 30.6 million, rising 4.9 percent, with school-related trips growing 6.1 percent and work-related trips up 0.6 percent. [INE]
Optional or flexible transport modes registered more than 7.4 million travelers, a remarkable 290.8 percent increase from the same month in the prior year. This pattern points to a notable shift toward versatile mobility options in daily life. [INE]