The heat offers no respite in a summer that has begun with an intense heatwave. While in other affected countries such as France, operators have pre-emptively withdrawn services at risk of HVAC failure, in Spain, some Renfe trains are entering service without climate control.
This was the case on an AVE Madrid–Granada service that operated yesterday, 1 July, without air conditioning, at least in one coach. The end-to-end journey exceeds 3 h 30 min.
As the passenger who raised the issue on the social media platform X noted, the train carried infants and elderly passengers, both of whom are more vulnerable to high temperatures.
As a pressurised high-speed trainset, windows cannot be opened to renew the air. The same applies to the latest Media Distancia rolling stock designed for high-speed lines, which are also sealed. Another user reported a similar issue on 28 June on MD 18037 Jaén–Madrid, a 3 h 48 min journey.
Air-conditioning failures are also reported on other rail networks, including Metro de Madrid, where complaints about HVAC performance are frequent, particularly on Line 1.
Complaints regarding lack of air conditioning on Renfe services are not new this summer and have recurred in recent years.
In response, Renfe has adopted measures such as declaring a trainset unfit for service if the HVAC is inoperative. This can lead to delays while a replacement is sourced, or re-accommodating passengers in other coaches when only one vehicle is affected.