SPAIN: National operator RENFE has temporarily paused plans for the purchase of around 20 trainsets suitable for 350 km/h running, saying on February 4 that it needs to focus on the aftermath of the fatal accident at Adamuz the previous month and re-establishing services to Andalucía.
In late 2025 Transport Minister Óscar Puente held discussions with Siemens Mobility, Hitachi and — to the concern of some in the European supply industry — CRRC Changchun with a view to placing orders for around to 100 new or secondhand high speed trains. These will be required for ongoing expansion of the high speed network, to support plans for 350 km/h running on the Madrid to Barcelona line, to replace the 24 Class 100 sets which will be life-expired in 2032, to increase capacity on Avant middle-distance high speed services (around 30 trains), and to expand services on other existing and new routes (around 50 trainsets).
Meanwhile, the high speed line between Villanueva de Córdoba and Córdoba remains closed, in spite of earlier announcements that services would be restored by February 2. The transport ministry is not committing to a date for reopening because of heavy rain and high winds in the region.
On the Madrid to Barcelona high speed corridor, the last services of the evening operated by RENFE, Ouigo and Iryo have been suspended for several days to provide a longer window for track maintenance. Restoration of the previous timetable will depend on progress with safety checks and repairs, with the journey currently taking around 25 min longer than in the past; slower operation could continue until the completion of a two-phase programme for an extensive renewal of the line.
