The company removes fixed-gear units from the Madrid-Valencia corridor after drivers have decided to travel more slowly due to cracks detected in the bogies. Renfe maintains that the trains remain safe and attributes the withdrawal to operational criteria.
Renfe has withdrawn some units of the S106 model from the Madrid-Valencia corridor after drivers independently decided to reduce speed due to problems detected in the bogies of these trains. The measure affects the fixed-gear S106s, the same ones that have shown cracks in the frames, as confirmed by the company.
The drivers' decision, made independently of the company, has forced the withdrawal of these trains to prevent slowdowns from continuing to affect passengers. Renfe sources explain that the withdrawal responds to operational and service quality criteria, and emphasise that the fixed-gear S106s continue to be safe to operate.
The origin of the conflict lies in the cracks that Renfe detected last year in eight frames of the bogies of some fixed-gear S106s on the Madrid-Barcelona line. Since then, the company has replaced another 19 bogies due to indications that they could crack in the future.
The company no longer has spare parts available to continue replacing the defective bogies, and evidence suggests that the problem may be related to the train model itself. In light of this situation, the drivers opted to reduce speed, a measure that Renfe rejects as it has the endorsement of the Spanish Railway Safety Agency (AESF) for the technical actions already carried out.
This causes problems with punctuality and service quality and can lead to disruptions in operations, which also affects our customers
The movable-gear S106s, like those operating towards Galicia, are functioning normally and have not reported such problems, according to the same sources. The withdrawal is therefore limited to the fixed-gear units of the Madrid-Valencia corridor.
Passengers on the Madrid-Valencia line are the main ones affected by the changes in operations, which may result in schedule alterations and punctuality issues while the situation persists.
You may also like
