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I have just bought a ticket from Santander to Valladolid on the RENFE App for 31/10 - it is the All Saints Holiday so I thought I'd better do this in advance.
However, the App refuses to take a UK Mobile No. - and yes I have dropped the leading zero. To complete the purchase, I rather naughtily entered the Spanish tel no of the hotel I am staying in instead!
Is this a 'feature' , or I am doing something wrong, for future reference. Thanks.
My number is shown correctly in 'personal details' but refuses to carry it forward when making a purchase. On the purchase screen there is a drop down box for the country code but the main box will only take Spanish format tel nos. I am caught between releases I think - when I have made my booked journeys I will delete the account and start again!
Certainly RENFE like to make it as difficult as possible to get tickets for their trains, whether via the App or the website; never mind actually running a decent service on any given route....
Like @nwales58, I think I obtained an account on the website, some years ago, and moved it onto the App; where my details appear correctly; and I can book tickets OK with it.
I've just logged onto the RENFE website and checked my personal details; they look ok except that the 'document number' can't be edited, and I've recently got a new passport. The system seems to assume that you keep your ID number for life, like a Spanish person will do with their ID card. In a related matter, my "Tarjeta Dorada" (TD, Gold Card, i.e. senior citizen's railcard) has my name spelt wrongly and (now) my old passport number. Though you have to buy the TD card in person at a station, you can renew it online, but you can't change any personal details, so the whole thing just perpetuates the errors. And getting the App to sell you a ticket with TD discount is a nightmare....
Fortunately in a fair amount of travelling in Spain over the past few years the number of times I've been asked to show the TD card is very low indeed, and the name error hasn't been detected. Also, from the small number of occasions I've been asked to show my ID when accessing a platform, the main thing seems to be that the names on passport and ticket match up.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
I have just bought a ticket from Santander to Valladolid on the RENFE App for 31/10 - it is the All Saints Holiday so I thought I'd better do this in advance.
Assuming you're on an Alvia working not the local EMU, would you mind confirming the routing of your train please? The normal routing for a Santander - Madrid Alvia is via the broad gauge (low numbered) platforms at Palencia, then via the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer a few km south of Palencia, then via the standard gauge route throughout, including the low numbered-platforms at Valladolid-Campo Grande. However, due to engineering works relating to the new alignments south of Palencia, the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer has been inaccessible since September 2024. Since then, Santander line trains have been running on the broad gauge all the way through Valladolid-Campo Grande (higher-numbered platforms) then using the gauge changer at Valdestillas. I would be very interested to know the current situation, particularly how close to finishing the work south of Palencia is.
(having missed the Valdestillas gauge changer before it 'closed' when the high speed line opened to Burgos, I was very happy to 'recover' it on a Santander line train earlier this year)
Yes, you do not appear to be able to change your personal details once they are set up. I'm going to delete the account and app and start again once I've completed the journeys!
I'm on the 13.58 'Alvia' ex Santander so will report back as to the routing!
Certainly RENFE like to make it as difficult as possible to get tickets for their trains, whether via the App or the website; never mind actually running a decent service on any given route....
Like @nwales58, I think I obtained an account on the website, some years ago, and moved it onto the App; where my details appear correctly; and I can book tickets OK with it.
I've just logged onto the RENFE website and checked my personal details; they look ok except that the 'document number' can't be edited, and I've recently got a new passport. The system seems to assume that you keep your ID number for life, like a Spanish person will do with their ID card. In a related matter, my "Tarjeta Dorada" (TD, Gold Card, i.e. senior citizen's railcard) has my name spelt wrongly and (now) my old passport number. Though you have to buy the TD card in person at a station, you can renew it online, but you can't change any personal details, so the whole thing just perpetuates the errors. And getting the App to sell you a ticket with TD discount is a nightmare....
Fortunately in a fair amount of travelling in Spain over the past few years the number of times I've been asked to show the TD card is very low indeed, and the name error hasn't been detected. Also, from the small number of occasions I've been asked to show my ID when accessing a platform, the main thing seems to be that the names on passport and ticket match up.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Assuming you're on an Alvia working not the local EMU, would you mind confirming the routing of your train please? The normal routing for a Santander - Madrid Alvia is via the broad gauge (low numbered) platforms at Palencia, then via the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer a few km south of Palencia, then via the standard gauge route throughout, including the low numbered-platforms at Valladolid-Campo Grande. However, due to engineering works relating to the new alignments south of Palencia, the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer has been inaccessible since September 2024. Since then, Santander line trains have been running on the broad gauge all the way through Valladolid-Campo Grande (higher-numbered platforms) then using the gauge changer at Valdestillas. I would be very interested to know the current situation, particularly how close to finishing the work south of Palencia is.
(having missed the Valdestillas gauge changer before it 'closed' when the high speed line opened to Burgos, I was very happy to 'recover' it on a Santander line train earlier this year)
Trains are still using Valdestillas. When using Villamuriel times to Santander are around 4h to 4h 20'. Now it's longer. Service remains the same as always, three Class 130 a day, and the Class 121 weekend extra running on random Fridays and Sundays without much logic. In a tad over a year, Class 107 (the 2+2 seating cousins of the 106) should take over the service. The local EMU to Valladolid is still a 50-year old 470, which will soon (2026-9) be replaced by regional seating class 447, which are even slower (120 vs 140)
Assuming you're on an Alvia working not the local EMU, would you mind confirming the routing of your train please? The normal routing for a Santander - Madrid Alvia is via the broad gauge (low numbered) platforms at Palencia, then via the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer a few km south of Palencia, then via the standard gauge route throughout, including the low numbered-platforms at Valladolid-Campo Grande. However, due to engineering works relating to the new alignments south of Palencia, the Villamuriel de Cerrato gauge changer has been inaccessible since September 2024. Since then, Santander line trains have been running on the broad gauge all the way through Valladolid-Campo Grande (higher-numbered platforms) then using the gauge changer at Valdestillas. I would be very interested to know the current situation, particularly how close to finishing the work south of Palencia is.
I took this train this summer (also the 1358 Santander departure) and was astonished at how far we went on the slow lines before encountering a gauge changer—now I know why. Having vaguely looked up the HSL and gauge-changer locations before the journey, I was expecting us to speed up after Plasencia, but the unexpected slow trundle all the way through and beyond Valladolid was *interminable*. The train was timetabled as 1358–1814 but we got into Chamartín a good 20 minutes late—there were zero announcements on board so I have no idea if 1814 was the scheduled arrival time accounting for the diversion, or if they just hadn't bothered either updating the public timetable or informing passengers of the inevitable delay. Renfe gonna Renfe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I can confirm that the Santander Alvia remained on the broad gauge all the way from Plasencia to Valladolid today - a slow trundle (with left hand running on the old Norte main line). Awaiting a platform at Vall. for a bit - the broad gauge island 4/5 is also too narrow for the number of passengers and has rather dodgy steps. The works south of Plasencia look a long way off completion - no track laid and some bridge buttresses to finish. Looks like a flying junction is also gong in for the Santander line north of Plasencia.
As an aside no EES fandango - yet - off the Plymouth boat at Santander, just stamped passport.
I can confirm that the Santander Alvia remained on the broad gauge all the way from Plasencia to Valladolid today - a slow trundle (with left hand running on the old Norte main line). Awaiting a platform at Vall. for a bit - the broad gauge island 4/5 is also too narrow for the number of passengers and has rather dodgy steps. The works south of Plasencia look a long way off completion - no track laid and some bridge buttresses to finish. Looks like a flying junction is also gong in for the Santander line north of Plasencia.
Thanks for the information (sorry for the delayed reply, I've been busy all weekend).
My run on the the 13:58 from Santander back in August was very similar in that we were delayed at Valladolid and were 14 late into Chamartín. Valladolid is a very constrained location, a full rebuild has been advertised. I guess it's the old problem - do you want to fit a new station in where the old one was, as happened at Valladolid - it's fairly centrally located for the town, a pleasant walk through the park (the Campo Grande) if you have time. Alternatively you can do as was done at Burgos and move the station out of town, relying on personal transport or buses/taxis.
The flyover north of Plasencia is the new standard gauge alignment from the Santander direction, works for which are visible from the broad gauge line. The works south of Palencia are to improve that junction.
(off the topic of the delightful RENE app) Puente, the minister of transport, recently called out of city stations a disaster, not just the tiny AV ones but even Cuenca. So Valladolid will be rebuilt where it is. From memory, he also said putting urban stretches underground will no longer be the way to buy off protests. We will see.
A freight bypass is being built to relieve the Valladolid bottleneck. I think it only needs a few km more from the Renault factory back to the main line to be complete.
(off the topic of the delightful RENE app) Puente, the minister of transport, recently called out of city stations a disaster, not just the tiny AV ones but even Cuenca. So Valladolid will be rebuilt where it is. From memory, he also said putting urban stretches underground will no longer be the way to buy off protests. We will see.
A freight bypass is being built to relieve the Valladolid bottleneck. I think it only needs a few km more from the Renault factory back to the main line to be complete.
There seems to plenty of railway land / sidings to expand the station at Valladolid as required. I noted the old roundhouse is still standing - just about! Burgos is a pain losing its city centre station.
On Saturday I had a lunch stop in Logrono en-route to Zaragoza - a ridiculous OTT underground station with a very paltry service. Oddly none of city buses called either - it was a bit a step to the centre.
There seems to plenty of railway land / sidings to expand the station at Valladolid as required. I noted the old roundhouse is still standing - just about!
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility will invest more than Euro 250m to transform and expand Valladold Campo Grande station to convert it into a national-level railway interchange with a capacity of 5m passengers annual or up to 17,500 passengers on a weekday by 2050.
There will be 5 broad gauge and 7 standard gauge platforms (copared with 2+5 currently), 4 of the latter having mid-platform crossovers to take 1x400m or 2x200m simultaneously. As usual, 250m sounds rather cheap to me.
There will be 5 broad gauge and 7 standard gauge platforms (copared with 2+5 currently), 4 of the latter having mid-platform crossovers to take 1x400m or 2x200m simultaneously. As usual, 250m sounds rather cheap to me.
Yeah, the minister, former Mayor of Valladolid, has been criticised for rebuilding Valladolid station. It's needed but OTT. 5 broad gauge platforms is a bit too much, because there'll be a hourly service Medina - Palencia. 3-4 platforms would be ok, to cater for the terminators each side. HSR side, note that Spain sometimes uses platforms as sidings due to poor or faraway siding capacity. It'll be a bit Ourense-ish but not as crazy as Ourense's million platforms for 4 trains.
One feature of the app that *has* improved since the last release is that trains that only have disabled seats avalable are now indicated - previously it let you go through the booking rigmarole only for you to discover that all the ordinary seats were fully booked!
Off topic, I can report that at Antequera S.A. the cafe is still closed and the vending machine was 'sin servicio'. I was in need of refreshment after 3.5 hrs from Algeciras. It is a gloriously bonkers station in the middle of nowhere - I think it needs renaming now that Antequera has it very own AV station. I had to advise some confused tourists about where to change for Madrid - quite what you would rename it to is the question - there is just one little house nearby amongst the olives.
I had to advise some confused tourists about where to change for Madrid - quite what you would rename it to is the question - there is just one little house nearby amongst the olives.
Travel update - 14.09 Badajoz to Entroncamento railcar cancelled today - presumably strike or weather related. Nothing from CP - nada - can I claim a refund? Stranded passengers off the Madrid Alvia getting no help whatsoever. Need to be in Lisbon tonight so currently on a Flixbus - it is probably more comfortable than the railcar tbh! Absolutely sluicing it down.
If you paid your CP ticket in advance, then you have a contract of carriage and CP must offer the 3-fold choice in EU Regulation 2021/782 article 18(1). If they didn't offer anything after 100 minutes, then you can self-reroute according to article 18(3). If that applies to you and the Flixbus was more expensive than the train ticket, then claim back your extra expenses. You can also claim compensation for delay if the cancellation was not due to force majeure (a strike of their own staff isn't). Portugal has exempted a number of things from this EU regulation, but since it's an international service, exemptions from the EU regulation are not possible. For national long-distance services (connection from Entroncamento), they have not exempted article 18.
If you paid your CP ticket in advance, then you have a contract of carriage and CP must offer the 3-fold choice in EU Regulation 2021/782 article 18(1). If they didn't offer anything after 100 minutes, then you can self-reroute according to article 18(3). If that applies to you and the Flixbus was more expensive than the train ticket, then claim back your extra expenses. You can also claim compensation for delay if the cancellation was not due to force majeure (a strike of their own staff isn't). Portugal has exempted a number of things from this EU regulation, but since it's an international service, exemptions from the EU regulation are not possible. For national long-distance services (connection from Entroncamento), they have not exempted article 18.
Thanks - I bought my ticket via the CP App in advance - I was a bit miffed that it allowed me to make the booking nor did I received any notification of the cancellation. There are no CP staff at Badajoz to help of course and RENFE don't want to know. As it happened I checked into my hotel in Lisbon only a hour later than I would have done - Flixbus was good - it was 10 euros more than the train. Roll on through trains Madrid - Lisbon via Evora!
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