The first two high-capacity trains manufactured by Stadler have entered commercial service on the Madrid Cercanías network, marking the start of a major programme to renew the rolling stock used on Spain’s suburban services.
The event took place at Príncipe Pío station in Madrid, where the Spanish Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, alongside the Chairman of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, officially unveiled the new high-capacity commuter trains manufactured by Stadler. The presentation comes shortly after the first trainsets entered commercial service and marks the start of a new generation of trains designed to meet the ever-increasing demand for rail travel on Madrid’s suburban network.
Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, through the public operator Renfe, has put two new units into service following several months of testing. These are a 100-metre-long T100 train and a 200-metre-long T200 train, both initially operating on the C-7 line.
The introduction of the new Stadler trains onto the Madrid Cercanías network marks an important step for a network that carries, on average, around 730,000 passengers a day. The new trains offer a capacity up to 20 per cent greater than the Civia trains, previously the most modern on Madrid’s suburban network.
The T100 model can carry up to 916 passengers, whilst the T200 version has a capacity of up to 1,883 passengers. In this initial phase, the two trains will operate on line C-7 to test their integration into commercial service and to allow staff and passengers to gradually adapt to the new trains.
Trains with up to eight railcars and nearly 1,900 passengers
The new trains combine single-deck and double-deck railcars and have been designed to speed up passenger flow at stations. The high number of doors and spacious vestibules help to reduce stopping times, an important consideration on a busy commuter network.
The T100 units consist of four railcars, whilst the T200 trains have eight railcars, making them the longest fixed-formation trains in Renfe’s rolling stock fleet. This configuration also allows capacity to be adapted to changes in transport demand.
The new multiple units are equipped with platform-level access in low-floor areas, spaces for passengers with reduced mobility, and multi-purpose areas for bicycles, pushchairs and luggage. Facilities include Wi-Fi, USB and 220 V sockets, real-time information systems and comprehensive CCTV coverage.
The trains also feature LED lighting, efficient air-conditioning systems, thermal insulation and electric braking with energy recovery. Built for the Iberian gauge and a 3 kV power supply, they can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h.
Renfe has contracted the purchase of 79 high-capacity trains from Stadler, in a deal worth over EUR 1.3 billion. The agreement includes the supply of the trains, spare parts and the maintenance of part of the rolling stock for 15 years.
A further nine T100 units and eight T200 units are scheduled for delivery in 2026. The investment forms part of the Rolling Stock Renewal Plan for Cercanías and Rodalies, which provides for investments of approximately EUR 3.5 billion for the purchase of new trains.
This modernisation is particularly important for the Madrid commuter network, which carries over 200 million passengers annually and faces infrastructure capacity constraints, including in the Recoletos and Sol urban tunnels. In this context, the introduction of higher-capacity trains represents one of the main solutions for increasing passenger numbers without the immediate expansion of the infrastructure.
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