Overview

• Renfe will stop selling low-cost Avlo tickets on the corridor and operate the same schedules with Siemens S103 AVE trains, following the indefinite withdrawal of five Talgo S106 units.
• In July a routine inspection found a fissure in a bogie component on an S106, prompting the removal of those units from service on the route.
• Passengers already booked on Avlo after September 7 will be reallocated to AVE under the same conditions, while new tickets will be for AVE services that generally carry higher prices.
• The change affects only the Barcelona–Madrid corridor, including the Figueres extension, and Renfe says Avril trains on other routes such as Madrid–Galicia remain in service without detected faults.
• Infrastructure wear on the line has led to speed reductions from 300 km/h to 250 km/h, and to 190 km/h in some sections, and the shake-up heightens scrutiny of Talgo as rivals Ouigo and Iryo vie for price-sensitive travelers.