Why the BRAND NEW Talgo Avril is Europe's WORST High Speed Train

The Talgo Avril has been in development since 2016 and has finally entered service 8 years later with Renfe on its high speed AVE and Avlo branded services. They have some good points about them, however there are A LOT more issues than benefits. Find out why in this video!

Journey details:

Date of travel - June 2024
Operator - Renfe AVE
Class of travel - Elige Comfort (first without at seat meal service)
Origin - Madrid Chamartín Clara Campoamor
Destination - Gijon
Price - €36.70/£30.99/$39.64
(Elige Comfort promo fare)
Journey time - 3 hours, 31 minutes
Distance - 530km/329 miles

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed the video!

Music from EpidemicSound and used under license.

Follow me on social media:

#talgoavril #renfe #ave #talgo #avril #madrid #gijon #asturias #galicia #tripreport #vlog #spain #trains

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:39 Madrid Chamartin and What Feels Like an Airport!
03:20 The Talgo Avril
05:10 Boarding & the First Issues!
06:00 Route Map
06:28 A Shaky Departure!
07:41 Know Your Seat
10:55 The High Speed Line & Valladolid
12:10 WiFi
12:49 Walkthrough
14:46 Onboard Catering
15:56 Gauge Change & Approaching Leon
17:07 Sala Executive Area
17:31 Pajares Base Tunnel
18:38 Toilets
19:05 Oviedo, Conclusions & Pricing
20:29 Arrival into Gijon & Outro - Thanks for Watching!

[redsbricks]

This is more of a complex thing that it might seem, let me explain. Renfe asked for a train that basically did not exist: one capable of going through any track of Europe without any modification, and all done automatically within the train itself. This means one single train capable of ruling in different track gauges (particularly inside Spain) and changing electrical currents (AC, DC and varying voltages), whilst being certified to reach a top speed of 360 km/h commercially. On top of that, they wanted a high capacity train and preferably low floor.

Renfe’s tender consisted of two parts: a normal high speed train and the mentioned before. Since Talgo was the only one capable of doing the latter (as they already had the gauge changing technology), they won the contract. Also, their offered price was lower than the rest. However, the entry to service was delayed, as it was obvious that Renfe’s request were too much, specially with the small timeframe to design, build and test the train of 4 years. The pressures over Talgo to deliver the trains (due to Renfe not having trains to operate the newly built HS lines in northern Spain) made them deliver a train that had unfixed issues. Among these issues: high vibrations, systems shutting down, or simply the whole train stopping for no reason. Talgo blames Renfe for the pressure (also politics got involved) and Adif (the railway administrator) for not letting Talgo test the train with enough frequency in different tracks. And now Renfe wants lawsuit Talgo for the defects on the trains. A thing to notice is that the highly reduced price of these trains is not really due to the cheapness of materials/components, but because it has less bogies (or rodales as Talgo calls them), which highly reduces the price. On a side note, the seats are Renfe’s issue, nothing to do with Talgo as such (they install the seating the customer asks for), just like all the interior layout.

In my personal opinion, Talgo was too ambitious with this train. The funny part is that IT IS capable of doing all they promised, but with compromises that could not get fixed with the time they had. Also, the vibrations vary a lot with the tracks, as this train goes outside of the HS line too (the only one to do so in the Spanish network), and on wether the specific variant is gauge changing or not. Additionally, the wheels have a totally more technology that aligns them automatically with the track to reduce stress and make the train more efficient, and it’s been rumored that that’s the cause of the elevated shaking. I hope that they will fix the issues on the train as they did with the S130 back then, which has now become a pretty reliable train (although it also experiences some vibrations, but not much more than other trains). The layout and seats should just be a little investment from Renfe, which I hope they do.

[Almepoint]

I find the title of your video quite demagogic. Surely it is not the best high speed service, but a 3 hours journey in a brand new train at 300km/h for 37€ definetly is not the worst service of Europe at all. In fact, it is an excellent value for money.

[manuelguillermes]

Just a comment about the wireless headphone connection. The interface is not clear but you can connect bluetooth headphones by clicking on the headset icon in the upper right corner. Tried it yesterday, works well, it even stops the audio/movie if an announcement is going on

[loloflores]

I disagree with the title, the content and the conclusions of this video.

[antaryjczyk]

There was something similar happening in Poland last year, where it was discovered that the train manufacturer deliberately was messing up with train software so the trains were breaking at predefined time intervals. Obviously that given train manufacturer was the only one able to fix the issues. All this was discovered by a group of hackers employed by a train repair company...

[ChoobChoob]

Those Nayax card terminals on vending machines are responsible for many lost sales. I've noticed in UK stations, they've swapped 'em out for simpler card terminals

[horizonte]

FYI: Talgo III trainsets for national services (not the international RD ones) already had 2+2 seating in 1st class (as well as in 2nd). The difference between both classes was the seat pitch.
Also, last time I checked, it WAS possible to book a premium seat with an Interrail pass (for a higher fee). Are you sure this has changed?

[AndreiTupolev]

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? Well, Talgo has been around for years and years, it's hardly a new and untried concept, there seem to be a few issues with these but they seems to be related to the dynamics of the design, it's hardly as if RENFE chose something completely untried. They did specify a cheap style of seat and a high density seating layout, that is true

[francinfocisco]

Is there any way for Talgo to improve all theses issues about the noise and the huge vibrations ?

Because, we'll probably see this trains, not only with Renfe, but also with Iryo, and OuiGo, because of the gauge changing technology.

And we'll probably also see these trains in France and Portugal, and not only Spain, so getting these improvements done ASAP should be a priority, or the iberian peninsula is going to have the worst HST for the next decades...

[trainmanteam]

Welcome back OM the Rail, fantastic videos you have, keep up the great work and can’t wait to see what you make next👍🏾😁 Sorry to hear about the train though 😅

[brakaponter]

Your comments in the video and the images.... dont fit really good.... (the images show a really good product). I have traveled in the Siemens Velaro (ICE...) High Speed trains and they have really unconfortable seats, hard like rocks. Besides the difference of level with the floor, at the time of boarding them makes old people, women with big trolleys, etc the need to ask for help. Crazy concept. That doesnt happen with any Talgo. Did u forget to comment it? 😇

[DavidCaballero]

The airport style safety check, became mandatory after the 11 March of 2004 islamic terrorist attacks on several regional trains, that killed 193 people. So i'm glad that the safety controls are there.

[carlosmagnus]

There are three problems mainly:
One is of course the trains, since the RENFE of PP Administration of M. RAJOY in 2016 contracted a train, the one in the video in question, which should have cost between 35 and 40 million and they left it at the extraordinary bargain of 22 million, which that infamous government boasted about, along with the rush to have it available. And from those dusts comes these muds, a very Spanish saying that has been used a lot lately.
The second issue is the infrastructure Madrid-Asturias High Speed ​​lines, as well as the Madrid-Galicia one, which ARE UNFINISHED. This is an important detail, since there are areas with only one track in operation, which during times of high demand become a "bottleneck" that greatly limits and conditions the circulation of trains. Another important issue is that, especially in Galicia, from Ourense onwards, there is a change in track width that is not working too well either, and which is the cause of continuous delays.
The third problem runs parallel to the second, and is the lack of maintenance of these complex infrastructures that require continuous special attention and that, due to the tremendous investment in opening new kilometers of High Speed, are being neglected, which results in constant failures of the catenary and the electrical supply that leave trains stranded in the middle of their journeys.

[anthonywarrener]

Thank you for this interesting video. I am surprised at your many criticisms of this new Talgo variant, having travelled on every other type other type, which I find very good. The Talgo trains have always had single axles, and generally they ride pretty well, especially at high speed between Barcelona and Madrid. Let’s hope the new ones settle down soon ! Interestingly Deutsche Bahn are now taking delivery of a large fleet of Talgo trains which will be locomotive hauled in push-pull mode between Berlin and Amsterdam. Now that really will be a train to try out !

[brian]

Yes i did enjoy watching your Talgo Avril High Speed Train review, not a bad price fare for the distance you traveled all-in-all., pitty about all those issues you experienced while onboard. That buffetcar food selection looked pretty good though, awesome travel video there OM the Rails👍

[ExplorebyRail]

Talgo - as always (sadly) - is doing a great job to once again deliver a disappointing product. The step free access is a real plus but Talgos design leads to reaaaally uncomfortable rides, even at low speeds.

[Xantec]

what is the advantage of the single axle design over traditional articulated sets such as the TGV?

[johnkeepin]

An interesting assessment. Unfortunately, ride quality seems to have gone downhill on modern rolling stock. Certainly true with the current class 80x in the UK compared with the old Mk3 stock. Some of that is to do with the need to fit within modern absolute gauge requirements (Uniform Structure Gauge (USG) EN 15273), with the avoidance of air suspension for that reason, but there was something well done with the old Mk3s, especially when the permanent way wasn’t perfect.

[DDELE]

So comparing these train sets to the high speed trains built by Alstom and Siemens which do you prefer for ride quality? (Im not familiar with Hitachi and Stadler’s high speed product line in Europe)

[josepm.pardell]

Nobody here seems to know how this train is wider than others and is capable of sitting 3+2. Talgo trainsets are very sophisticated and hardly presumable of being cheap. Renfe wanted a Mercedes with a Vespa engine.