Spain: Rail chaos and delays increase

The Spanish railway system has had an eventful few weeks. On April 28, the power went out across Spain, and among other misfortunes, 50,000 high-speed train passengers were stranded on their trains for hours. Exactly one week later, some of the same trains broke down halfway between Seville and Madrid because someone had stolen cables along the line. The Transport Minister apologized to the approximately 10,000 people affected this time, citing a possible act of "sabotage" (although it was likely just common copper thieves at work).

Minister Óscar Puente would like to stick to his dictum from last summer that "the train in Spain is currently experiencing its best moment." But the opposite is probably true: There hasn't been as much cause for complaint in decades as there is now.

The Talgo 350, a high-speed train of RENFE AVE, on the line from Madrid to Levante near Alicante.

Source: imago images/Zoonar

Spain's high-speed trains have become cheaper, less comfortable, and less punctual over the past four years. In 2021, the former state-owned Renfe faced private competition for the first time on its flagship route between Madrid and Barcelona. Since then, about 60 percent more trains have run there, and prices have fallen by an average of 40 percent. Between the pre-pandemic year of 2019 and 2023, the number of passengers on the entire high-speed rail network (3,000 kilometers of new lines and 1,000 kilometers of upgraded lines) increased by 10 million to almost 32 million. This is a respectable success story. But success comes at a price.

When the first high-speed rail line between Madrid and Seville opened in 1992, it was the pride of the nation. Eight years later, 99.8 percent of trains were still on time (meaning no more than five minutes late, but usually arriving a little earlier than the schedule promised). The reliability of the AVE (the Spanish equivalent of the German ICE) was its greatest strength. This remained the case until 2020: The unpunctuality rate (a somewhat more generous estimate of more than 15 minutes late) remained below one percent. By 2023, it had climbed to 6 percent.

There are no good figures for last year, only a statement from the Minister of Transport in the summer that only a good three-quarters of long-distance trains were arriving on time. A new train model, the S 106 from Talgo, had flaws and even required its passengers to sit five to a row instead of the previous four. The proud days of the Spanish railway are over. Instead, it has become cheaper and more popular.