Avlo

Avlo

Avlo

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Avlo (Spanish pronunciation: ['aβlo], short for Alta Velocidad Low Cost literally "No Frills High Speed" ) is a low-cost high-speed rail service operated by Spanish national rail company Renfe, offering services connecting major Spanish cities such as Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and others on specific high-speed lines.

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History

The AVLO services are operated by rebuilt and repainted class 112 trains. Here a test train in March 2021 near Alt Penedès (Catalonia)

Based on the popularity of the French low-cost high-speed rail service Ouigo that was introduced in 2013 by French national rail company SNCF, and keen to encourage train travel on the Spanish high-speed rail network, Renfe was interested in setting up their own such budget service. The service was announced on 6 February 2018 by the then Minister of Public Works Íñigo de la Serna. It was provisionally named "eva", the name of the Renfe's own high-speed train service, AVE, spelt backwards[1] and was aimed to be operational by the first quarter of 2019.

The plan was for trains to run between Madrid and less frequently used AVE stations in Catalonia, namely Camp de Tarragona and El Prat de Llobregat, the latter only around 10 km from Barcelona's Sants terminus. This concept resembles the strategy of Avlo's potential low-cost competitor Ouigo, which goes to Tourcoing rather than the larger station Lille-Europe.

However, after a series of delays and with the prospect of new competitors operating as of late 2020, such as the airline Air Nostrum, the Italian rail company Trenitalia, and Ouigo, a subsidiary of French rail company SNCF, Renfe felt obliged to revive the plans for a low-cost rail service of their own. Renfe went back to the drawing board and new sets of proposals for the service were announced on 11 December 2019, with services planned to begin on 6 April 2020 during the 2020 Easter holidays.[2][3][4] Avlo was set to run between the stations Madrid Atocha, Zaragoza Delicias and Barcelona Sants.[5] In contrast with earlier plans, the service was to stop in Zaragoza rather than Tarragona.

On 15 March 2020, Renfe announced that the launch of the service would be postponed until further notice on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Customers who had paid a promotional fare of €5 were given the option to travel at a later date, while non-promotional tickets were refunded in full.

Avlo services between Madrid, Barcelona and Figueres on the French border commenced on 23 June 2021. Three daily services in each direction run between Madrid and Barcelona, while a fourth service stops in Guadalajara, Calatayud, Saragossa, Lleida, Tarragona, Barcelona, Girona and terminates in Figueres. As in the previous attempt to launch this service, promotional ticket prices start at €5. Six return services between Madrid and Valencia commenced on 21 February 2022.[7] Since 28 March 2023, four daily services between Madrid and Alicante are offered and since 10 December 2023 Renfe included a new daily service to Murcia via Alicante stopping in all intermediate stations.[8] Renfe also aims to run trains from Madrid to Seville and Malaga.[9]

Services

As of 2024 Renfe offers the following Avlo services:[10]

  • Madrid Atocha–Barcelona non stop.
  • Madrid Atocha–Barcelona via Zaragoza.
  • Madrid Atocha–Figueres via Guadalajara, Calatayud, Zaragoza, Lleida, Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona.
  • Madrid Chamartín–Valencia via Cuenca and Requena-Utiel.
  • Madrid Chamartín–Alicante via Cuenca, Albacete and Villena.
  • Madrid Chamartín–Murcia via Cuenca, Albacete, Villena, Alicante, Elche and Orihuela.
  • Murcia–Valladolid via Orihuela, Elche, Alicante, Villena, Albacete, Cuenca and Madrid Chamartín. (one way schedule)
  • Valladolid–Alicante via Madrid Chamartín, Cuenca, Albacete and Villena. (return schedule departs from Murcia)

Background

The Avlo service consists of modified purple-coloured Talgo AVE trains. They are using S 112 trains upgraded to 438 seats, and will use the future S 106 trains with 581 seats, both in all-second class configuration.[11] Renfe has reported it is pricing tickets of the Avlo as low as €10, compared to the lowest offer of €48 for the normal AVE ticket for Madrid and Barcelona.[12]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Spain launches new 'low-cost' high speed train between Madrid and Barcelona". The Local Spain. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  2. [2]
    "Introducing Avlo: Spain's new low-cost, high-speed (bright purple) rail service". The Local Spain. 11 December 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  3. [3]
    "RENFE to launch Avlo low-cost high speed rail for everyone". Railway Gazette International. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  4. [4]
    Doncel, Luis (10 April 2019). "Could France's state rail operator bring "low-cost" train travel to Spain?". El País. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  5. [5]
    "Renfe unveils Avlo low-cost high-speed brand". Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  6. [6]
    "Renfe implantará un nuevo plan de transporte para ajustar su oferta a las condiciones dictadas por el Gobierno". Renfe (in European Spanish). 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020.
  7. [7]
    Clinnick, Richard (18 January 2022). "Avlo set to launch Madrid – Valencia HS services next month". International Railway Journal. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  8. [8]
    Buitrago, Manuel (27 November 2023). "Los trenes Avlo entre Murcia y Madrid comenzarán a circular el 10 de diciembre desde 7 euros". www.laverdad.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  9. [9]
    Augusteijn, Nick (7 March 2023). "Renfe counting down to new high-speed connections". www.railtech.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  10. [10]
    "Avlo". Renfe. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  11. [11]
    "AVLO, Renfe's first low cost train in Spain". Mediarail.be - Rail Europe News. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  12. [12]
    Muñoz, Ramón (16 December 2019). "Introducing Spain's new low-cost AVE: €10 tickets for Barcelona to Madrid". El País. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
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