You still don’t know when you’re going to receive them.

Renfe does not know when it will receive the last three Avril trains that are missing from the order of 30 units which he commissioned from Talgo. Just like they count From El Español, the public operator acknowledges that it has no information or planned dates for its delivery. Talgo, for its part, refuses to give explanations and says that it does not report on its projects. This push and pull and uncertainty around trains aggravates a relationship already deteriorated by more than three years of delays.

It is not known where they are. Renfe sources recognize openly that they do not have information or scheduled dates to receive these three pending units. For its part, Talgo hides behind its policy of not sharing details about ongoing projects and leaves the responsibility of reporting on a situation that the operator itself claims to be unaware of in the hands of its client. The relationship between both operators is at its lowest point, a relationship that began to fracture with the first delays of the model 106, known commercially as Avril.

A troubled history. The 27 Avril trains that are already part of the Renfe fleet There have been numerous incidents since April 2024, when deliveries began. The most serious episode occurred in September, when the operator was forced to withdraw the Avlo service on the Madrid-Barcelona route due to crack problems in these trains. The last three convoys received came into operation in June in the Galicia-Madrid corridor, where the majority of these units are providing service to replace some Alvia models.

116 million withheld. The accumulated delay of several years led Renfe to impose a penalty of 116 million euros on Talgo in July 2022. Sources from CincoDías they claim that the manufacturer has provisioned this amount in its accounts, but has not made the payment, maintaining that the delays were due to causes beyond its control. Meanwhile, Renfe maintains withheld the planned payments to its supplier, although the paralyzed figure still does not reach 75% of the total penalty.

The 107 series, the next open front. The situation threatens to become even more complicated. Talgo must also deliver 13 trains of the 107 seriesa project that is already delayed compared to the dates planned for 2024. The Ministry of Transport has recently warned of possible new sanctions for this non-compliance.

This model is being configured through the transformation of hotel trains and the use of 26 power units acquired for 204 million euros. The resulting material will allow driving at 330 kilometers per hour with tread adaptable to different track widths, a crucial capacity for services such as Avant and to reestablish Avlo in Madrid-Barcelona.

Frustrated plans in France. The destination of the pending trains has also changed from what was initially planned. Renfe planned to allocate some of the missing units to its operations in France and was pending approval of model 106 in that country. However, the development of this plan has paralyzed “given the successive difficulties and delays that the deployment of its high-speed service offering in France is suffering,” as the company warned a few months ago.

Restructuring underway. In parallel to these delivery problems, Talgo faces an extraordinary meeting this Friday in which its new shareholding structure and the co-financing of its debt will be put to a vote. The Basque consortium led by José Antonio Jainaga has acquired 29.7% of the capital for 156.6 million euros, together with the Finkatuz fund of the Basque Government and the Vital and BBVA foundations. The operation includes a capital increase of 45 million by SEPI, which will acquire 7.88% of the company, and the issuance of 105 million in convertible bonds.

The challenge of regaining trust. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, declared that his first contact with the next president of Talgo will be precisely to find out the status of the 107 series and settle the issue. Renfe awaits the appointment of the new person in charge to address the pending compensations, which it does not plan to give up. The key for the manufacturer is to increase its industrial capacity and above all avoid further delays in deliveries, with an order book that exceeds 4.8 billion euros and could reach 7,000 as the company consolidates its new structure.

Cover image | Ernstkers (Wikipedia)

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