Renfe has announced this afternoon that from Monday 8 September, the Avlo Madrid-Barcelona will stop running. In its place will run AVE trains, on which passengers who have already purchased a ticket for the low-cost service will be able to travel.
Although the operator announces this change as a modification of its commercial policy on the corridor, the reality is that from tomorrow, all Avlo trains will run on AVE-type rolling stock, with two classes and a cafeteria car.
What does Renfe say about the suspension of the Avlo Madrid-Barcelona?
In its communiqué, the operator indicates that the decision comes after having “decided” to withdraw the 106 trains destined for the Avlo service on this line, due to cracks in the bogie frame. Since then, they have been using 112-series Avlo trains and 103-series trains for the AVE service.
In addition, the operator adds that:
Renfe has also taken into account that the AVE product is better adapted to the characteristics of the route and to the needs of the corporate traveller profile, which is frequent in this corridor, as it means an improvement in comfort thanks to larger seats and a notable increase in space.
Renfe will also recover additional services that are highly valued by customers, such as the cafeteria, on-board catering and the silent car. Similarly, the travel experience will be reinforced with Premium services, including access to club lounges and other catering options.
For business travellers, the offer is completed with the Executive Lounge, available on all trains, which provides exclusivity and privacy for business trips.
The replacement of Avlo Madrid-Barcelona by an AVE service should not lead to an increase in ticket prices. Due to the revenue management system, it is easy to find cheaper AVE tickets than Avlo tickets.
Withdrawal of all Talgo material from the line?
Since 8 September, all Renfe’s Madrid-Barcelona trains will been running with 103 series trains (except for the Madrid-Marseille, which uses 100 series), which means that all rolling stock manufactured by Talgo on the line will be withdrawn.
While this could be a sign that the 112 series trains (of the Talgo 350 family) are suffering from bogie problems, there could be other causes.
On the one hand, the delay in the repairs of the 106 series trains affected by the cracks could have led the operator to simplify the operation of the Madrid-Barcelona line. A single train model with the same conditions provides more flexibility. The flexible fares allow to reach the traveller who prefers to pay less.
On the other hand, given that the bogies of the 106 trains are similar to those of the Talgo 350 (102 and 112 series), we could be looking at a preventive measure. The cracks were allegedly caused by the poor state of the infrastructure between Madrid-Puerta de Atocha and km 190+000.