Spain: Talgo and the national operator Renfe have signed an agreement to upgrade the bogies of 15 trainsets originally built for standard gauge (1,435 mm).
The move means Renfe’s entire 30-train Avril fleet will be able to switch automatically between European gauge (1,435 mm) and Iberian gauge (1,668 mm). The conversion will take three years and cost €132 mln, and the new bogies will push up whole-life maintenance costs by 29%.
Renfe says the upgrade will give the fleet greater versatility, letting it run on a wider range of routes across the Iberian Peninsula.
The decision follows the discovery of cracks in the motor bogie frames of five 1,435 mm-gauge Avril trains operating between Madrid and Barcelona in July 2025. Renfe pulled the affected trains from service, and they returned to carrying passengers a few months later once repairs were completed under the five-year factory warranty.
The two companies also agreed a delivery schedule for the three outstanding trains. Renfe committed to releasing €200 mln in bank guarantees under the contract within three months, while Talgo secured new terms for paying the penalty tied to the delivery delay, now running more than three years. Payments won’t start before 2032 — after the restructured loan taken out last year matures — and will run over the following six years. The €116 mln penalty, equivalent to 20% of the contract, had originally been due for payment between 2031 and 2037.
