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Renfe Imposes Speed Limit and Halts Avlo Sales After Avril Bogie Fissures

An exhaustive review of all Series 106 trains is under way after routine maintenance uncovered frame cracks.

Overview

  • Renfe discovered a fissure in the bogie tractor frame of one Avril Series 106 train during a July 21 routine inspection on the Madrid–Barcelona line.
  • The operator initially suspended Avlo ticket sales on the Madrid–Barcelona route and capped Talgo-built trains at 250 km/h between Madrid-Puerta de Atocha and kilometre 190.
  • Fleet-wide inspections of all Series 106 units, including those serving Galicia, Asturias and Valencia, have found no additional defects so far.
  • The speed reduction seeks to ease infrastructure stress on the liberalized high-speed network after increased traffic intensified track wear.
  • Renfe later stated that Avlo bookings for the Madrid–Barcelona service never actually stopped, revealing a miscommunication in its earlier announcement.