Spain’s Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, announced that he is overseeing the final stages of putting the first Stadler trains into service for Renfe, which will serve the Cercanías (suburban) network as part of a EUR 1.3 billion investment.
To this end, Óscar Puente visited the Stadler Test Center in Albacete on April 20, where final checks are being conducted prior to the delivery of the first five units (three 100-meter-long T100s and two 200-meter-long T200s) to Renfe. These commuter trains will be integrated into the current Cercanías Madrid fleet and will enter service at the end of summer, following the completion of simulation tests and driver training.
These are the first units of a total of 79 Stadler trains for Renfe, valued at EUR 1.3 billion. These will become the largest trains in terms of capacity in the operator’s fleet: up to 912 seats for the T100 models and up to 1,884 seats for the T200, representing an increase of up to 20% in total capacity.
Following the delivery of these first five units, monthly deliveries will continue until the fleet is completed with nine T100 and eight T200 trains later this year. The delivery process will continue in phases until the entire batch of 79 trains is finalized.
Features of the Stadler Trains for Renfe
The new Stadler multiple units are high-capacity trains that combine single- and double-deck cars and can be adapted to fluctuations in demand by extending or shortening the formation.
Thus, the T100 trains can be converted to the T120 configuration, with five cars, featuring a mixed structure with two low-floor cars and two double-deck central cars. In turn, the T200 can be adapted to the T240 configuration, with up to 10 cars, or reduced to 160 meters. These are Renfe’s largest trains in a single-unit configuration, including low-floor cars and double-deck cars.
The new trains bring significant improvements to urban mobility, being equipped with modern accessibility and comfort technologies: spaces dedicated to people with reduced mobility, level flooring at all doors of single-deck cars, multifunctional areas for bicycles (up to 6 in the T100 and 18 in the T200), and spaces for baby strollers. In addition, most doors allow platform-level access, reducing boarding and alighting times.
The trains are equipped with USB ports and electrical outlets at the seats, a modern passenger information system, CCTV video surveillance, LED lighting, as well as efficient air conditioning and thermal insulation systems, contributing to both comfort and the sustainability of transportation.
In addition, they are compatible with the Iberian gauge, can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h, and include advanced passenger information systems.
In August 2021, Stadler and Renfe signed a EUR 998 million contract for the delivery of 59 high-capacity trains to operate on Iberian gauge lines. Essentially, Stadler will deliver two types of trains with scalable lengths, ranging from 100 to 120 meters and from 160 meters to 240 meters, to serve the suburban networks of major cities.
In 2022, Renfe ordered another 20 electric multiple units, each 200 meters long, from Stadler.
Renfe is renewing its rolling stock fleet
This acquisition is part of a comprehensive program to modernize Renfe’s fleet, which involves investments of approximately EUR 3.5 billion to renew rolling stock nationwide. The introduction of these state-of-the-art trains into Spain’s commuter network “will directly improve passengers’ quality of life and reflects our commitment to more efficient urban mobility,” the minister stated during the visit.
The five multiple units are scheduled to enter service by the end of the summer, following the completion of certification, commercial simulations, operational tests, and driver training.
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