During European Mobility Week, Renfe reinforced its role as Spain’s most energy-efficient passenger and freight transport company and a benchmark for sustainable mobility.
Over the past two years, the company cut unit energy consumption by 13% and lowered its carbon footprint by 20%.
In 2024, Renfe Group reduced greenhouse gas emissions to 3.79 grams of CO₂ per transport unit (passenger or tonne of freight). According to the Spanish Office for Climate Change, this is up to 35 times lower than cars.
This figure marks a historic milestone for Renfe, representing an 89% reduction since 2005, the year Renfe-Operadora was created as a separate entity from infrastructure manager Adif. It also surpasses the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) target of a 55% reduction by 2030.
These results strengthen Renfe’s position as a leader in the transport sector and highlight its role in the shift towards cleaner, more responsible mobility. Currently, more than 90% of the kilometres travelled by Renfe trains are powered by electricity from 100% renewable sources.
As a result, all electric passenger and freight services are certified as ‘Carbon Neutral’ by AENOR. This guarantees customers that their journeys are entirely free from direct and indirect CO₂ emissions at source, in line with PAS 2060 and the GHG Protocol, the leading international standards for carbon neutrality verification.
Initiatives to Decarbonise Transport
Fleet modernisation and the gradual replacement of diesel stock with electric trains have been crucial to lowering energy consumption. New train models, together with efficient driving systems, optimise energy use on every route.
By applying these driving techniques, Renfe’s 5,200 train drivers have cut energy use by 30%. Regenerative braking recovers and returns up to 40% of the energy consumed on commuter services back to the grid.
Renfe has also launched initiatives to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability in its maintenance and freight operations. These include installing photovoltaic panels for self-consumption at 14 maintenance bases. In freight, Renfe has added 12 high-power electric locomotives to operate on the Iberian gauge network.