Friday, December 28, 2007 - The New AVE high speed train gets off to a dodgy start

Journey time on the new route from Malaga to Madrid has been long awaited and has been set at two hours 30 minutes for non stop services and 25 minutes more for trains which stop en route. 11 trains will cover the line in each direction daily, a number which is increased to 13 on Fridays and reduced to ten on Sundays and nine on Saturdays. Ticket price is 76 € single, but there are discounts for advance internet booking which can take the price down to as low as 30 € 50 cents. It came the day after the Zapatero also officially opened the other new AVE high speed train line from Madrid to Valladolid. After the photos in Málaga the Prime Minister made his way to the airport and flew back to Madrid in an official plane, while the rest of the politicians returned on the train. A statement from the Moncloa said Zapatero had a ‘private meal’ to return for. The 7:10 AVE service from Málaga to Madrid on December 26th arrived 40 minutes late as the train stopped short of Córdoba when it failed to correctly read the signalling system on the Sevilla to Madrid stretch of the line. This older track uses a different signalling method that the Córdoba to Málaga link. It meant that RENFE were obliged to return the ticket price to the 281 passengers on the train. El Mundo has reported that the delay to the 2pm AVE from Málaga on Boxing Day was even greater, with the train arriving in Madrid one hour 40 minutes late. Travellers have told the paper that the train stopped and started on the Málaga – Córdoba stretch, the TV’s did not work, there was no water in the bathroom taps, and the oven in the cafeteria had broken. Currently on the new lines to Málaga and Valladolid RENFE returns half the ticket price for a 15 minute delay and all the ticket price for delays of more than 30 minutes. On established AVE lines a full refund is given if trains are more than 5 minutes late on arrival.

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