Both Renfe and the ministry of development have ruled out the original launch date, with minister of development, Mr José Luis Ábalos, saying it will be difficult to begin operating services before 2020.
According to Spanish newspaper El Economista, none of the series 102 trains due to be used for the service have been retrofitted. The cafeteria is set to be removed to increase capacity, while work to adapt El Prat de Llobregat intermodal hub near Barcelona Airport for the new service is also yet to begin.
“There have been some internal consultations, some contacts with suppliers, but nothing else has been done, no progress has been made on the project,” internal Renfe sources reportedly told El Economista.
The new service aims to broaden the appeal of rail travel to groups more likely to travel long distances by air or road by offering a door-to-door service integrated with other modes. Renfe said fares were set to be 20-25% lower than on standard AVE high-speed services.
