From Extremadura en Red we have always had two parallel demands, differences, compatible and inseparable. The Worthy Train NOW !!! and the High Speed infrastructure in the entire Iberian Southwest Corridor.
What is the Worthy Train Now?
It is the requirement that Extremadura urgently have the highest quality of train service available to the vast majority of Spaniards and that while we do not have high-speed infrastructures, the possibilities of improving service are promoted to the maximum and Extremadurans are not treated as third-rate Spaniards, with unworthy services for the current times.
What is a Worthy Train?
A train that allows you to travel the 450 km from Badajoz to Madrid in the shortest possible time allowed by the current infrastructure. with the services that the rest of the Spanish normally have in the Long Distance services, with enough hourly services so that they can adapt to the different needs of a potential million users who have left the train, and with maintenance guarantees that allow estimating the arrival and departure times with the minimum deviation.
Nobody better than Renfe and Adif professionals and managers to make improvement proposals, but in the current situation we propose that at least we must act in the following lines of work:
1.- SERVICE IMPROVEMENT. The journey must have at least two daily Long Distance roundtrip services. With all its usual cafeteria services, videos, plugs, comfortable seats, to which should be added easily supplied services such as telephone coverage and Wi-Fi, among others. Renfe’s commercial Long Distance service with its offers must be in addition to the current Mandatory Public Service with its characteristics and rates. This Long Distance service must guarantee that a person can go and return in the day with time to be able to do some management.
2.- CHANGE OF ROLLING STOCK: New machines and wagons must be changed or added to guarantee the best service.
3.- IMPROVEMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE. Improvements should be added to the roads. In the sections between Cáceres-Mérida-Badajoz, the already completed sections of the new platforms must be incorporated into service in early 2018, as the previous Minister announced. Opening of some closed stations to allow train crossings. In the sections from Plasencia to Humanes, which will be in exclusive use until 2023, actions must be urgently carried out in the most deteriorated sections with the utmost urgency, and throughout 2018, actions of greater significance depending on their state. We must not forget that in 2019 a Diesel High-Performance Train will come into operation, and in 2020 a Hybrid Train and new safety systems on the conventional line that must allow going at 200Km / h. Therefore, it will not be provisional works. Especially from Talavera the route will continue with high density after the High Speed infrastructure comes into operation, and parallel to it. For this reason, the most important actions must be carried out. These actions on the tracks, each one of them, must gradually reduce time.
4.- MAINTENANCE. The maintenance services of the rolling stock and its services as well as the infrastructures must be guaranteed. These actions will allow us to avoid seeing the incidents that we have had to endure in recent years, which qualify the service as unworthy and disrespectful to Extremadura.
These proposals would make great progress, but surely there are many more.
What is a decent train for you?
