The fire and the closure

A Renfe AVE train caught fire near Ricla in the province of Zaragoza on Monday, 12 October, while it was travelling towards Figueres. The blaze interrupted high-speed service between Madrid and Barcelona in both directions. Four hours after the fire, a single track was opened through the affected section, and that night all passengers on board were taken off the stalled train. A total of 283 passengers were evacuated with no personal injuries, and 33 trains were disrupted, affecting 12,979 travellers. Adif said Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo worked with it to design a transport plan adapted to the reduced speed limits. Carmona described the situation on the track this way.

“The work needed to remove the affected train is being carried out. Part of the train has been removed, but the affected driving cab is still on the track.”

Service changes for Wednesday

Iryo cancelled four services for Wednesday, 14 October, namely trains 6081, 6320, 6161 and 6190, and moved their passengers onto other trains. Passengers who did not accept the alternative can change their ticket or cancel it for a full refund. Ouigo retimed two departures from Barcelona Sants: train 6500, due out at 10:40, now leaves at 13:50, and train 6570, scheduled for 17:40, departs at 20:20. Renfe is running a set-up similar to Tuesday's, although trains AVE 3180 and 3190 are due to run in their usual single formation. From Wednesday the speed limit on the affected 25 km stretch rose from 80 to 160 km/h, and Adif said travel times could grow by 10 to 15 minutes with possible knock-on delays.

Removal of the burned train

Adif spokesman Antonio Carmona said the removal work is complex and can only be done at night, because it cannot run alongside train services. Part of the train has been taken away, but the burned driving cab is still on the track. The cab has to be dismantled almost piece by piece and carried away by a work train, and a crane is needed to lift most of it. Renfe pulled the front carriages, which the fire did not affect, to Zaragoza-Delicias early on Wednesday, but the burned locomotive could take several more days to clear. The site is isolated, and because the parallel track is back in use, machinery can work on the rails only a few hours each night.

Causes and repairs

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and Adif said it was too early to establish what triggered the incident. Renfe told Adif that the train's maintenance plan was fully up to date. Carmona said the infrastructure was badly damaged and that repairs, including to the catenary, can begin once the cab has been removed. Adif expects double-track service to return early in the week of 19 October. Renfe sources described the removal as a lengthy job that would take several days, and the three operators are still working with Adif on their timetables. Carmona apologised to affected passengers, and Adif said everyone who wants to travel can do so.