The Spanish nationwide rail operator, Renfe has confirmed that it’ll take away all “low price” Avlo trains from its high-speed Barcelona–Madrid service.
The price range service, launched underneath the Avlo model, will stop from 8 September, when it is going to be fully changed by AVE trains.
Renfe says it’s going to proceed to supply ‘the identical frequencies, schedules and aggressive costs’ beforehand supplied with Avlo, however the service will now be operated solely with AVE.
Travellers who already maintain Avlo tickets for journeys after 7 September will routinely be transferred to AVE providers underneath the identical journey situations. Customers who paid additional for seat choice will obtain that charge again for gratis.
The firm argues that the AVE fleet is ‘higher suited to the traits of the route and to the wants of the enterprise profile – the common traveller on this line’, because of larger consolation and extra spacious seating.
Additional facilities may even return with the changeover, together with an onboard café, catering service and a delegated quiet automobile. Premium passengers will regain perks corresponding to entry to membership lounges, upgraded eating and the Executive Lounge for enterprise journey.
The transfer follows issues over the reliability of Avlo’s Talgo 106 models, which have confronted extra breakdowns on the Madrid-Barcelona hall than the AVE’s mannequin 103 trains.
In late July, a technical fault was reported on an Avlo S106, and in early August practically 500 passengers had been left with out electrical energy for greater than two hours on the method to Madrid’s Chamartín station.
Avlo was first launched in 2021, after Spain’s rail sector was deregulated and low-cost operators Ouigo and Iryo entered the market, placing stress on Renfe to supply cheaper alternate options.
