ROLLING stock manufacturer Talgo began delivering last week the 30 Avril high-speed trains ordered by Spanish national operator Renfe, following the completion of final on-track testing and driver training.
Over the last 12 months the new Avril design has accumulated nearly 300,000km during testing on the Spanish national network to ensure full compatibility with all types of infrastructure, achieving half of the total in 2024 alone.
Known as the series 106 by Renfe, Avril is Talgo’s most advanced train design, according to the manufacturer, capable of operating at up to 360km/h on both 1435mm and 1668mm gauge.
Around 200 Talgo employees have been working over the last few months on the Avril testing programme, verifying the performance of onboard technology that is, according to the manufacturer, “completely new and unique in the world.”
Talgo employees specialising in commissioning, verification and validation, engineering and maintenance have been working alongside staff from over 10 other Spanish suppliers and two universities.
Testing has involved changing between 1435mm and 1668mm gauge 700 times, with onboard sensors capturing data during some 500 test runs.
Each Avril train can accommodate up 581 passengers, and Talgo says that lower train weight will minimise energy consumption, reducing CO2 emissions per passenger and further strengthening rail’s position as the most sustainable mode of transport.
The Avril is 200m long and is formed of 12 coaches and two power cars. Based on Talgo’s traditional articulated design, the coaches are 100% low-floor and provide level boarding from station platforms.
The flexible design of the new train enables onboard equipment to be installed according to the operator’s requirements. Talgo has been seeking approval for 10 of the new Renfe fleet to operate in France, where new entrant Le Train has ordered 10 Avril trains for delivery in early 2025 to operate in western France on the Tours – Bordeaux high-speed line.
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