"RENFE to launch Avlo low-cost high speed rail for everyone"

[jopsuk]

RENFE to launch Avlo low-cost high speed rail for everyone
11 December 2019

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SPAIN: National operator RENFE has unveiled the Avlo branding for its future low-cost high speed train service.

Avlo is to be launched on the Madrid – Zaragoza – Barcelona corridor on April 6 2020, with tickets to go on sale in January. It would then be expanded to other routes during 2020-21.

The first Avlo-branded trainset was unveiled by Minister of Public Works José Luis Ábalos and RENFE President Isaías Táboas at the Villaseca de la Sagra depot on December 11.


Renfe

✔@Renfe
https://twitter.com/Renfe/status/1204720097958469632
Replying to @Renfe

Este es el momento en el que Isaías Táboas y @abalosmeco han descubierto el nombre de nuestro 'low cost': avlo.#avlorenfe




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11:10 AM - Dec 11, 2019
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Inclusive, competitive and sustainable
Ábalos said Avlo aims to make high speed rail more inclusive, competitive and sustainable, with services being for everyone and ‘no longer a product focused on business trips, but open to families, young people and other groups that used it very occasionally.’

The launch of Avlo forms part of RENFE’s strategic response to the liberalisation of the domestic passenger market under the EU’s Fourth Railway Package. This has seen paths for the launch of competing services awarded to a local subsidiary of France’s SNCF and the ILSA joint venture of Air Nostrum and Italy’s Trenitalia.

RENFE said the cheaper and easy-to-use Avlo service was designed to attract customers such as families, groups and young people who currently travel by road.

The services will be operated using Talgo Class 112 trainsets which are being modified at workshops in Madrid, La Sagra, Málaga and Valladolid. These trainsets will have 438 seats, 20% more than the current configuration. As the network expands, Series 106 trainsets offering 581 seats would also be used.

MARVEL as RENFE transfer existing services to a "cheap and cheerful" subsidiary and move them outside of any sort of inter-operable ticketing etc, just like SNCF TGV Ouigo

 

[Bletchleyite]

MARVEL as RENFE transfer existing services to a "cheap and cheerful" subsidiary and move them outside of any sort of inter-operable ticketing etc, just like SNCF TGV Ouigo

The livery looks nice, but indeed, these services are a very bad thing.

 

[daikilo]

The livery looks nice, but indeed, these services are a very bad thing.

What? It's like setting up an LCC airline in competition with a full-service airline. In Spain that would be Vueling vs. Iberia or in Germany Eurowings vs. Lufthansa. It works once you've found a way to split the staff contracts….

 

[Bletchleyite]

What? It's like setting up an LCC airline in competition with a full-service airline. In Spain that would be Vueling vs. Iberia or in Germany Eurowings vs. Lufthansa. It works once you've found a way to split the staff contracts….

No, it's not, because on railways we have the concept of "connectivity" which airlines don't. They destroy it, and it's about the most important thing a railway has over other modes.

Time for the EU to legislate UK style passenger rights onto all European rail networks including cross-border travel, then it wouldn't be an issue, to be fair.

 

[superalbs]

Time for the EU to legislate UK style passenger rights onto all European rail networks including cross-border travel, then it wouldn't be an issue, to be fair.

This would encourage me to make ultra long distance journeys more often, after my most recent one from Praha almost went catastrophically wrong. Of course the reason was because Thalys considers itself as a special case when compared to everyone else... One thing the UK railway gets right!

 

[Starmill]

No, it's not, because on railways we have the concept of "connectivity" which airlines don't. They destroy it, and it's about the most important thing a railway has over other modes.

Sometimes, it's the only real advantage that rail actually has: guaranteed booked connections to somewhere close to your origin / destination (rather than simply an Airport, which could well be anywhere). There are lots of markets where rail is more expensive and slower than flying, but the booked connections and the rights it brings could make very long journeys bearable.

London to Madrid, for example, without these rights would be effectively impossible by rail. And the current rights on a journey like that without genuine through-ticketing are poor.

 

[Starmill]

Time for the EU to legislate UK style passenger rights onto all European rail networks including cross-border travel, then it wouldn't be an issue, to be fair

I couldn't agree more. Legislation at the European level, much sooner and without the lobbying of the European railways is the answer.

 

[jopsuk]

What? It's like setting up an LCC airline in competition with a full-service airline. In Spain that would be Vueling vs. Iberia or in Germany Eurowings vs. Lufthansa. It works once you've found a way to split the staff contracts….

it's not though? SNCF have been busy converting existing TGV (Inoui) services to Ouigo, as well as the initial Ouigo services that didn't use central stations, which means especially late evening or early morning services are downgraded and (eg) Interail isn't valid at all, FIP International Reduced Rate tickets aren't available/valid, etc. These operators will fracture the network without providing meaningful competition.

 

[ivanhoe]

No, it's not, because on railways we have the concept of "connectivity" which airlines don't. They destroy it, and it's about the most important thing a railway has over other modes.

Time for the EU to legislate UK style passenger rights onto all European rail networks including cross-border travel, then it wouldn't be an issue, to be fair.

These are point to point journeys which will attract new passengers from the likes of Alsa. I think you’re overstating the disadvantages. I’ve travelled fairly extensively on Spanish Trains and also on Alsa (where the Iberian rail network is at its ‘leanest ‘) and in my opinion, I think the losers are going to be the likes of Alsa etc. You’d be surprised by the size of the network of intercity coaches in Spain. Young Spanish people (who are budget limited)travelling from say Seville to Madrid may we’ll find that the train is an option.

 

[BigCj34]

it's not though? SNCF have been busy converting existing TGV (Inoui) services to Ouigo, as well as the initial Ouigo services that didn't use central stations, which means especially late evening or early morning services are downgraded and (eg) Interail isn't valid at all, FIP International Reduced Rate tickets aren't available/valid, etc. These operators will fracture the network without providing meaningful competition.

Poor customer service, especially with foreign travellers who are more likely to use a pass and limited foreign card acceptance, suggests these services are feared more for the domestic traveller and fleece tourists. SNCF may be competing against themselves but can't over do it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

These are point to point journeys which will attract new passengers from the likes of Alsa. I think you’re overstating the disadvantages. I’ve travelled fairly extensively on Spanish Trains and also on Alsa (where the Iberian rail network is at its ‘leanest ‘) and in my opinion, I think the losers are going to be the likes of Alsa etc. You’d be surprised by the size of the network of intercity coaches in Spain. Young Spanish people (who are budget limited)travelling from say Seville to Madrid may we’ll find that the train is an option.

I'm not sure I care about the overall concept all that much (it's only like having a separate website only marketing Advances for a simplified experience if you so choose as I believe First are going to do on their East Coast operation), but an entirely separate ticketing system, not accepting InterRail, not protecting connections with that same company's other trains, airline-style luggage nonsense etc is just not on.

 

[dutchflyer]

Coaches (long distance buses for continentals, not railway carriages) indeed have a very extensive network in ES, many are run by ALSA but they do NOT have cheap fares nor a thing like FLIXbus, all lines are regulated also for fares. Its just marginally cheaper as lower graded RENFE trains.

But then RENFE was never known for much interconnectivity, its even impossible to book that on on their site. The only advantage since a few yrs is that one can get free connecting tickets on local cercanias/rodalies at both ends to a long-distance trip.

Most likely this is a copycat of SNCF OuiGo to try to fend off possibly coming competition. But then in IT or CZ+SK the competition has already started. IF that f.e. in FRance could lead to much fewer strikes-the better it is to me.
There simply is a market for that and much less as half of rail-pax make trips with connections on other trains.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It's only on high speed lines where there is capacity for multiple operators (Renfe, plus SNCF and Trenitalia consortia, granted access last month).
You can see the same trend in Italy with Italo.
The difference with here is that we haven't got an extensive high speed system with spare capacity (OK, HS1 fits the bill but not much competition down there).
By the time we get to HS2 there will be demands for multiple operators here (unless Mr Corbyn wins today), to use the spare capacity.
As I understand it, the classic networks in these places carry on as normal (subsidised and regulated, like ours).
The Renfe network has many "one or two fast/long distance trains a day" routes and I don't think that connectivity will change.
No low-cost plans out of Chamartín, for example.