State railway operator Renfe takes advantage of Ouigo's cancellations and launches extra trains to Andalucía for seven euros
From Monday, there will be more low-cost Avlo trains, after Ouigo cut several services, citing 'operational reasons' and impacting 15,000 passengers
M.B.
Monday, 12 January 2026, 14:35
State railway operator Renfe has decided to take advantage of the cancellations announced by its competitor - low-cost company Ouigo. The national operator has launched several special trains to and from Andalucía to make up for the services that Ouigo has cancelled, impacting 15,000 passengers.
Ouigo's cancellations on the southern routes involve services from 9 to 22 January. Last week, the company said that it had made adjustments, citing "operational reasons". The company stated that it wants to continue providing the same quality but at a reduced frequency. At the same time, Ouigo denied that there are technical or staffing problems.
This measure has left thousands of people without tickets. A total of eight daily services from Friday to Monday and six from Tuesday to Thursday, all on the Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Malaga routes, have been cancelled.
This leaves more than 15,000 inconvenienced passengers. According to Ouigo, all of them have been informed in advance, which allows them, in theory, to rearrange their journeys. Ouigo said that passengers will be able to choose between changing their ticket free of charge or cancelling it, receiving a refund of the cost of the ticket plus compensation that varies according to how far in advance the cancellation is made (between 200% and 50% of the value of the ticket). The refund of the cost of the ticket and the compensation are immediately paid into the account with which the payment was made.
Renfe launches two new daily trains with reduced fares starting at seven euros
To alleviate this cutback, Renfe has decided to launch two special Avlo services between Madrid and Seville, at reduced prices starting at seven euros. Tickets can be purchased at renfe.com and at stations.
The first of these special trains (Avlo Madrid-Seville) is scheduled to depart at 12pm on Tuesday, 13 January. The next special train will depart from Seville, heading for Madrid, at 5.17pm
Depending on demand, Renfe might increase the capacity of its trains in this corridor and, if necessary, schedule additional special services to attend to passengers impacted by the cancellations on the Madrid-Malaga route in both directions.
Renfe reminds passengers that, according to regulations, if they are not offered a solution 100 minutes after the scheduled departure time, they can find an alternative public transport, such as Renfe, and the company must refund the cost of their ticket.
