The Challenge of Writing on the AVE
The Xataka NordVPN Awards 2025 brought together our editorial team from various cities to Madrid, primarily using the AVE high-speed train. As dedicated journalists, we intended to make productive use of our travel time by drafting articles. Unfortunately, we quickly discovered that Renfe’s WiFi posed a significant hurdle.
The Struggles Begin
This recounting starts with me, Amparo Babiloni, on the Valencia-Madrid AVE. After boarding the train at 8:30 AM and connecting to the Play Renfe network, it took nearly an hour just to log in. My attempt to write was thwarted by technical difficulties, with basic applications like Slack failing to load.
Jose, on the other hand, left Córdoba at 8:33 AM. His experience was equally frustrating. As the train traversed tunnels and mountainous regions en route to Castilla-La Mancha, connectivity dropped completely. This area has a reputation for its weak network, and our attempts to work were increasingly hampered.
The VPN Dilemma
Attempting to connect to a VPN turned into a near-impossible task. Security certificates had to be confirmed repeatedly, making any productive work particularly challenging. I had to disable my VPN, which felt risky on a public network.
Mismatched Expectations
During the first hour of travel, I relied solely on my mobile network to write responses and emails. Thankfully, I had uploaded necessary images beforehand; otherwise, I would have faced a lengthy process of loading large files. Surprisingly, basic functionalities, like loading colleague profiles on Slack, were a challenge.
As we approached Madrid, after enduring sporadic outages, I noticed better network stability. However, like Jose, I also suffered through painfully slow speeds. When comparing our experiences from 2016, the current performance felt dramatically worse.
Speed Tests: A Distracting Reality
I conducted speed tests as we advanced, particularly in Castilla-La Mancha where our connectivity was poor. The irony was apparent as we neared Madrid; naturally, more antennas resulted in improved service, highlighting the disparities along the journey.
Enter the Station
Upon entering Chamartín, I expected faster speeds; however, the download barely registered at 2 Mbps, worse than our performance earlier in the journey. The network congestion was frustrating, with videos consistently struggling to load. My mobile network provided a mediocre 15 Mbps, suggesting clear issues with the train’s WiFi.
The Root of the Problem
The simultaneous consumption of bandwidth by numerous devices likely contributed to our slow experience. Passengers streaming videos, using social media, or completing tasks put extra stress on a system not designed to accommodate so many simultaneous connections.
Another significant obstacle was the Doppler effect, which complicated signal stability as the train sped along at 248 km/h. The infrastructure also plays a critical role; Renfe’s service relies on antennas primarily positioned around urban areas, leaving trains in outskirts with inadequate signal availability.
Reflecting on Spain’s Connectivity
Moreover, Spain’s average train network speed of 1.45 Mbps ranks poorly compared to other European countries. This reality enhances the challenges faced by travelers attempting to work remotely while onboard.
Finally reaching Madrid at 10:46 AM, our struggles underscored the pressing need for significant improvements in transportation WiFi infrastructure. As we joined the lively atmosphere of the Xataka NordVPN Awards, we carried with us both the frustration of imperfect connectivity and the shared camaraderie of dedicated journalism.
Images | Amparo Babiloni, Jose García
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