Passengers on Spain's new high-speed train, intended to offer a seamless journey between Madrid and Gijon, faced a harrowing ordeal instead. Despite a colossal investment of £3.475 billion (Rs 35,421 crore) into upgrading the railway, the train shook violently for three hours, causing discomfort akin to severe airplane turbulence.
The incident occurred on the recently inaugurated 300-mile rail line in northwest Spain. One passenger, Alex Sanchez, who captured the unsettling event on video, took to social media to voice his frustration.
"I hope that @Renfe, @Inforenfe, @oscar_puente_, or whoever is responsible, will give us an explanation to the passengers of AVE 05721, because from the León switch to Oviedo, we have been bouncing. I also hope it will be checked for safety. I come every week and I have never seen anything like this," he wrote.
He further elaborated, "I'll break it down into parts. I have come several times on the AVRIL and it is not normal. I have already filed a complaint (if it helps at all), so that at least it will be checked (maybe by October)."
Renfe, Spain's state-owned railway company, responded: "Hello, Alex, we apologise. We have immobilised the train to analyse the cause of this anomaly and report the issue to the manufacturer. We will keep you informed once the cause is communicated to us. We reiterate our apologies."
Alex replied, "Perfect, it's good that you respond here, but I just hope it doesn't take 3 months to respond to a complaint of this type, which I filed as soon as I got off the train."
The high-speed rail line, which boasts Europe's seventh-longest rail tunnel, was inaugurated last November after two decades of construction. However, this incident has marred its launch, raising serious concerns about passenger safety and the reliability of the new trains.
Passengers reported that the violent shaking persisted for hours, drawing comparisons to extreme turbulence experienced on airplanes. The cause of the disturbance is currently under investigation, with Renfe attributing it to a malfunction within the train car itself.
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