Renfe Advances Real-Time Travel Information Through an Open Call for Tech Solutions
Renfe is pursuing a better travel experience for its passengers by launching a competitive bidding process to design and develop a tech solution that delivers real-time train information to customers. The initiative enters the market during peak travel season, following a period of significant disruptions to rail infrastructure that caused delays and confusion at several major stations across the country.
The operator explains that launching this “innovative tech solution” responds to heightened passenger demand for superior travel experiences. In a market where transport modes compete for travelers, Renfe aims to provide exceptional services that attract and retain riders, according to the procurement documents listed on the State Procurement Portal.
The project sits within the sixth call of its TrenLab startup accelerator program, seeking solutions such as virtual assistants that help customers find seats on the next train, instant route updates, platform changes, data capture through voice recognition, encrypted data to safeguard railway operations, and resilience against cyberattacks, as announced by the company. Proposals must be submitted by September 10.
The contract carries no upfront cost to the public company. The base bidding budget is zero euros, yet the project’s value reaches 1.08 million euros. Renfe offers winners 50,000 euros to fund pilot development and the prospect of a contract worth up to one million euros, in addition to access to a network of experts and mentors across its business units who will share knowledge and guidance.
To date, the company’s incubator has accelerated 22 startups, invested more than 2.3 million euros in pilots, and signed contracts totaling 4.7 million euros with companies such as Visualfy (assistance for the deaf), Greemko (sustainability), AllRead (container operations control), and Limmat Group (infrastructure digitization).
Among the proposals Renfe plans to evaluate are efforts aimed at transforming station customer service into a comprehensive, efficient center that provides fast, personalized, and proactive responses to passenger needs, along with delivering real-time information before, during, and after journeys. The goal is to increase interaction with Renfe through instant feedback and proactive listening from customers.
Automating maintenance and optimizing operations are also focal points. The competition seeks solutions to automate and digitize data capture during maintenance of rolling stock to improve efficiency and accuracy in inspection reporting and the management of technical documents and spare parts. In addition, the program explores integrating quantum computing to optimize resource allocation, such as trains and crews, and to strengthen cybersecurity with quantum-enabled algorithms that support faster, more precise scheduling and routing decisions.