The Spanish train company Renfe will start selling tickets for the new Avril high-speed trains from Thursday, April 18. These high-speed trains (AVE) will operate between Asturias and Galicia. The plan is for them to be in operation from May.
Talgo has begun delivering the S-106 trains, also known as Avril trains, this week. Initially, there will be ten trains. Later, two more deliveries of ten each will follow, making a total of thirty such trains in operation by 2025.
The project involves an amount of over €1.2 billion, including maintenance for 30 years. This is the largest transaction in the history of the AVE. Renfe also intends to file a claim of over €100 million against Talgo due to the delayed delivery of the trains.
Reduced Gas Emissions
The Avril is Talgo’s most advanced train. Thanks to its high capacity and light total weight, the Avril consumes relatively little energy and is more efficient than other trains. This results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it strengthens the train’s position as the most sustainable mode of transportation.
These latest generation trains consist of 12 passenger cars and have a length of 200 metres. The train sets are at the same level as the platform, making it easy for passengers to board and disembark. The new Talgo trains are also highly accessible to people with limited mobility. Boarding with strollers, bicycles, or heavy luggage is much easier compared to older trains.
Spain’s Fastest Train
Talgo Avril is part of a highly flexible technological platform. Each delivery can be tailored to meet the increasingly complex needs of the European railway market. For example, the train can be adapted to different track gauges (both in Spain and internationally).
The new high-speed trains can be deployed on almost the entire Iberian railway network, potentially extending to destinations in France in the future. Furthermore, the new Avril train holds the world speed record on the Spanish rail network: reaching a speed of 360 kilometres per hour on September 7, 2022, on the Ourense-Santiago de Compostella high-speed line in Galicia.
Also read: Two new AVE train destinations in Spain
