RENFE, 3-unit complementary set of the high-speed train "AVLO", no. 3/3, purple livery, ep. VI.
On June 23, 2021, the first RENFE AVLO low-cost high-speed trains entered service, launching operations with four daily services between Madrid and Barcelona and tickets starting at €7 per journey, sharing the line with their first competitor, Ouigo, operated by the French SNCF.
Although AVLO was originally scheduled to begin service on April 6, 2020, its launch had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 health crisis. It was finally introduced after the end of the state of emergency, with more than 60,000 tickets sold for the first three weeks. Ouigo, for its part, began operations on May 10, 2021, with ten daily services. The third private operator, IRYO, started running on November 21, 2022, with an inaugural journey between Madrid-Chamartín and Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla stations.
The first AVLO train departed from Figueres-Vilafant station at 05:35 bound for Madrid-Puerta de Atocha. In the opposite direction, the first train left Madrid-Puerta de Atocha at 06:20 heading to Barcelona-Sants.
The train is marketed exclusively in standard (tourist) class, which includes one piece of cabin luggage plus a handbag or backpack free of charge. Passengers may also add optional services such as seat selection, ticket changes or cancellations, and additional baggage. Children under 14 benefit from a basic fare of €5 when travelling with an adult ticket, and discounts are also available for large families.
RENFE initially converted five Series 112 trainsets to operate the new service, increasing passenger capacity to 438 seats per train—around 20% more than the original units of that series. The fleet was later expanded to eight Series 112 units, and Series 106 trains were also introduced, including eighteen fixed-gauge and ten variable-gauge units.
To form a complete model train, the extension sets HE3001, HE3002, and HE3003 are available, each including three coaches.
Set HE3002 includes a PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) coach featuring a newly designed body shell specific to this train.
