MEETING on March 3, the board of Spanish National Railways approved what the company describes as its largest-ever rolling stock order, a fleet of 40 high speed trains that is costing a total of €1·6bn.

Talgo and Bombardier are to supply 30 high speed trains for €1·17bn, including maintenance over 14 years worth €554·4m, while Siemens is to supply and maintain 10 trainsets for €433·4m.

On February 25 Renfe had awarded contracts for the supply of 101 high speed trains and 10 gauge-changing sleeping car trainsets, worth a grand total of €2·85bn (below). A consortium of Alstom and CAF is to build 30 ’shuttle’ trainsets for high speed regional services, as well as 45 gauge-changing trainsets for similar duties. Putting its share of supply and maintenance work at €1bn, Alstom expects deliveries of the shuttle trains to take place between October 2006 and January 2008, with the gauge-changing order delivered between October 2006 and May 2009.

Bombardier and Talgo are to build 26 gauge-changing trainsets for longer-distance services at speeds up to 250 km/h, while Talgo itself will supply 10 gauge-changing loco-hauled formations for overnight Trenhotel services. Since July 2000 Renfe has awarded contracts to supply, rebuild or maintain rolling stock worth a total of €9·3bn, including new suburban EMUs (p205) and TRD DMUs for regional service as well as high speed trainsets.

TABLE: Renfe high speed rolling stock orders, 2004

Supplier Date Train Speed No of Capital Maint- Total awarded type km/h trains cost, km enance1 kmBombardier/Talgo 03/03 High speed 300+ 30 615·0 554·4 1169·4

Siemens 03/03 High speed 300+ 10 243·0 190·4 433·4

Alstom/CAF 24/02 Regional 2 250 45 583·9 499·4 1083·2

Alstom/CAF 24/02 Regional 250 30 353·5 341·7 695·2

Bombardier/Talgo 24/02 Long-distance 2 250 26 372·5 377·5 750·0

Talgo 24/02 Overnight 2 220 10 143·7 178·7 322·4

1. Maintenance cost over 14 years, km 2. Gauge-changing trainsets

Topics