The Spanish competition authority, CNMC, has recently approved a calculation method for determining the reasonable profit that railway companies must pay to access railway service facilities, including stations and maintenance workshops. This decision is crucial for ensuring that companies involved in freight and passenger transport can operate effectively.

According to the new guidelines, the prices charged for access to these facilities cannot exceed the cost of providing the services plus a reasonable profit margin. The CNMC has clarified the criteria for supervising these prices through a formal communication, which outlines how costs will be determined and establishes a methodology for calculating the reasonable profit reference.

The reasonable profit is equated to the weighted average cost of capital and will be updated periodically. The CNMC has set specific profit margins: 7.33% for Renfe Operadora, 7.73% for ADIF and ADIF-AV, and 8.17% for other railway service facility operators. These figures represent an increase of approximately half a percentage point from the last update.

This decision follows a public consultation where no objections were raised, indicating broad acceptance of the new profit calculation framework. The CNMC's approach takes into account the unique characteristics of each sector, ensuring that the parameters are adapted to the specific context of railway operations.