Valencia, Jul 23 (EFE).- The suspension of the circulation of high-speed trains to and from Valencia, cut off from the early hours of this 23J due to a breakdown in Valencia, on the AVE, and more specifically in the facilities in a tunnel in this city, has already affected more than 5,000 Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo passengers who have relocated to other means of transport such as shuttle trains, conventional trains or buses.
The incident, which affects the three operators that circulate on the Valencia-Madrid route and vice versa, has been caused by a fire in a chest in the pump well of the high-speed access channel tunnel to Valencia, in San Isidro, which has forced the firefighters to act.
The Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, has specified that the fire, of which the causes will be studied, has burned the water pumps, which has caused the tunnel to flood since it has not been possible to drain the water used by the firefighters to put out the flames.
The general director of Conservation and Maintenance of Adif, Ángel Contreras, has detailed that some 50 people have been working since this morning to resolve the incident that has caused the suspension of rail traffic and whose complexity means that there is still no estimate of the time for its solution.
At 3:46 a.m., they detected that there was about 80 centimeters of water on the high-speed access tunnel road and that the origin of the problem was a fire that had disabled the pumps that allow the drainage of this tunnel, which, according to Contreras, is below the water table and needs “more or less continuous pumping to maintain circulation.”
The work to restore normality was especially complex at the beginning, he added, because there was “a significant concentration” of carbon monoxide in the well, although around 10:30 a.m. the technicians were finally able to access that area.
TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES FOR THOSE AFFECTED
Renfe has reported that it has provided a mobility solution to more than 5,000 passengers affected by the suspension of the circulation of high-speed trains in Valencia, and is rescheduling its services to facilitate the transfer between Madrid and the Valencian capital.
In addition, Renfe has offered its collaboration to Ouigo and Iryo, who have completely suspended the service, to transfer their passengers, and at 4:20 p.m. the mobility of 150 Iryo passengers has been facilitated.
Renfe has also indicated to EFE that a shuttle service has been established with Alvia trains from Valencia to Albacete, so that in Albacete they connect with AVE trains, in addition to directing trains by conventional route from Valencia to Alicante, and from there, travelers can connect with the Alicante-Madrid AVE and vice versa.
In the same way, buses have been arranged that have left from Valencia to pick up travelers from an Avlo Madrid-València train, which had stopped at the Requena station.
Affected travelers will receive 100% of the amount of their ticket for compliance with Renfe’s voluntary punctuality commitment for delays of more than 30 minutes and will be able to make any changes or cancellations without cost.
OUIGO E IRYO
In addition, Renfe has offered its collaboration to Ouigo and Iryo, who have completely suspended the service, to transfer their passengers, and at 4:20 p.m. the mobility of 150 Iryo passengers has been facilitated.
Sources from Ouigo consulted by EFE have confirmed that the incident has forced the suspension of two trains to Madrid Chamartín, at 7:30 a.m. and 10:06 a.m., with 437 and 951 passengers, respectively, and a third train has been made to return to Madrid Chamartín and destination València-Joaquín Sorolla, which has stopped in Cuenca with 561 people on board.
The same sources point out that Ouigo will reimburse 100% of the ticket to passengers, who will receive voluntary compensation of 200%, and the operator remains pending the Madrid Chamartín-València-Joaquín Sorolla flight at 5:15 p.m., with around 1,000 passengers expected, which has been delayed for the moment by one hour, and the Valencia-Joaquín Sorolla-Madrid Chamartín flight at 8:30 p.m. , with many others.
ANGRY IN A 23J IN WHICH “THIS WAS MISSING”
Meanwhile, the people affected have been complaining since this morning about the little information they are receiving and are organizing to find alternative transportation to reach their destinations, many of them with the aim of being able to vote.
With reproaches such as “no one has informed us until we have heard over the public address system that no train was leaving and that they are all cancelled” or “I’m pissed off, I want to go home to sleep and it’s so hot that you’re freaking out”, the travelers who occupied the AVE station this morning have organized themselves in the same station to share rental vehicles, for which they will pay around 600 euros and, what’s more, they have run out.
On the political level, the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, has assured that “all means” have been activated in response to the problems in Valencia, while the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, has asked the Government to guarantee the right to vote for those affected and the PP candidate for Valencia for Congress, Esteban González Pons, has denounced that “this was missing” on an election day in July.