Renfe Train Delays Hit Madrid Routes, Plus Wildfire And Avril Defects

Thousands of passengers were near stranded connected Monday, July 28, 2025, arsenic Renfe train services betwixt Madrid, Andalusia and Barcelona faced awesome disruptions.

A wildfire forced a afloat obstruction shutdown connected nan confederate line, while structural cracks discovered successful Avlo’s caller Avril fleet prompted a withdrawal of trains from nan cardinal Madrid–Barcelona passage.

Wildfire halts high-speed trains successful confederate Spain

A superior wildfire collapsed retired successful Brazatortas, Ciudad Real, connected Monday afternoon, starring to nan complete suspension of obstruction postulation betwixt Madrid and Andalusia. The blaze, which produced a dense file of smoke, threatened visibility and information connected nan statement betwixt Puertollano and Venta la Inés. Adif, nan infrastructure operator, confirmed nan impermanent suspension of each services done nan area.

The occurrence was declared a Level 1 emergency owed to its imaginable effect connected infrastructure, and crushed and aerial crews from Infocam were deployed to incorporate nan flames. As a result, respective Renfe high-speed services, including AVE, AVLO, Avant and Alvia, were either halted mid-journey aliases prevented from departing altogether.

Among nan worst affected were nan AVE 02140 and 02142 services from Madrid to Seville and Málaga, some of which were stopped successful Puertollano. The AVLO 02149 from Málaga to Madrid was detained successful Córdoba, while nan Alvia 02135 from Cádiz to Madrid besides came to a halt successful nan aforesaid area. Other services betwixt Madrid and Granada aliases Seville faced akin stoppages aliases cancellations.

Avlo’s Avril trains pulled from work aft ace discovery

While passengers successful nan southbound faced fire-related delays, travellers connected nan Madrid–Barcelona statement encountered a different benignant of problem. Renfe has confirmed it is pulling its Series 106 Avril trains utilized successful low-cost Avlo services from cognition owed to cracks recovered successful a captious structural component.

The rumor was discovered connected July 21 during a regular inspection, erstwhile a ace was recovered successful nan bogie framework of 1 of nan units. Bogies are metallic structures that support nan wheels and sorb vibration. Following nan discovery, each 5 Avril trains connected nan way were inspected. Although Renfe initially denied immoderate work suspension, an soul connection to complete 4,000 labor revealed that nan full fleet would beryllium temporarily removed owed to a shortage of replacement parts.

In nan connection released to nan nationalist connected Friday, Renfe said, “The fleet has not been paralysed and nan trains are undergoing scheduled inspections aliases constituent replacements, arsenic portion of regular maintenance.”

Yet, astatine nan aforesaid time, nan institution blocked summons income for Avlo services passim August, only reactivating them successful caller days erstwhile substitute trains were arranged. Routes are now being covered by older Series 103 and 102 trains, pinch Series 100 trains redirected to different corridors for illustration Seville.

A agelong database of method issues for nan Avril fleet

The Avril fleet, manufactured by Talgo, has faced problems since time one. Delivery was delayed by much than 2 years, resulting successful Renfe fining nan supplier €116 cardinal – a punishment that will now beryllium paid successful installments done to 2038. Since entering work successful May 2024, nan Series 106 trains person knowledgeable galore failures.

On January 1, a package correction caused each units to neglect to recognise nan alteration of year, paralysing nan full fleet and affecting complete 14,000 passengers. Nearly 500 strategy incidents person been recorded betwixt May and August alone. Renfe was yet forced to delegate on-board method unit to woody pinch predominant strategy failures successful real-time.

The astir caller problem occurred conscionable past week, erstwhile 1 of nan Avril trains collided pinch a buffer astatine Gijón-Sanz Crespo station. While nary injuries were reported, nan beforehand of nan train was damaged, and nan origin has not yet been confirmed.

To trim risk, Renfe has besides imposed a velocity limit of 250 km/h (down from 300 km/h) connected a 190-kilometre conception of nan Madrid–Barcelona line.

Refunds and compensation for affected Renfe passengers

Renfe is offering compensation for delays of 60 minutes aliases more. Passengers delayed by complete an hr are entitled to a 50 per cenr refund, and those delayed by much than 90 minutes tin declare a afloat refund. This applies to each commercialized services, including AVE, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity. Although AVLO trains qualify, they are excluded from immoderate compensation options, for illustration Renfe points aliases early discounts.

Travellers tin use online done nan ‘Punctuality Commitment’ conception connected renfe.com, starting 24 hours aft nan disrupted journey. Refunds tin beryllium issued via nan original costs method, a early recreation voucher pinch a 50 per cent bonus, aliases Renfe points pinch a 100 per cent bonus. Claims must beryllium submitted wrong 3 months of travel.

As fires rage and method problems mount, assurance successful Renfe’s expertise to negociate Spain’s cardinal obstruction routes is starting to crack. With delays, detours and summons blocks piling up, is Spain’s obstruction web sliding disconnected track?

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