Report - New high-speed train Avril by Talgo: Renfe’s new high-speed, variable gauge train On 28 November the Minister of Pub- Renfe Viajeros has awarded Talgo the tender for the sup- lic Works, Íñigo de la Serna, officially -an ply and maintenance over 30 years of fifteen high-speed trains at a cost of €22.5 million for each composition and nounced the award of a tender for the Ra maintenance cost of €2.49 per kilometre travelled. supply of fifteen new high-speed trains to This involves a total amount of €786.47 million, which represents a 28% reduction on the tender price Patentes Talgo for an overall price, includ- and includes entire lifecycle, with secondary mainte- nance activities being reserved for Renfe Integria work- ing maintenance for thirty years, of €786.5 shops. The trains will make it possible to cope with grow- million. ing demand for high-speed services, which has increased by 60% since 2013, as well as the new lines currently under construction that will expand the network in the coming and Asfa Digital signalling systems, with ten of them years and also the process of Passenger service liberaliza- having the French TVM signalling system. The trains will tion that will entail new demands for operators from 2020. be able to run at a maximum speed of 330 km/h. The new Avril (expected to be classified as Renfe The trains Class 106 or Renfe Class 122) will be interoperable, light- weight units - the lightest on the market with 30% less The new Avril trains will be twelve car units, three mass than a standard train - and 25% more energy-effi- of them being business class, eight tourist class cars and cient than the previous high-speed series. a cafeteria car. They will be tri-voltage - 25 kV 50 Hz AC, 3 kV DC and 1.5 kV DC - and will be equipped with ERTMS This report is the translation into English of an offprint of issue 613 of Vía Libre magazine (December 2016). Vía Libre is the leading magazine for the Spanish railway industry, issued monthly since 1964 and published by the Spanish Railways Foundation. Data updated as of 8 December 2016 Vía Libre • December 2016 1 Variable gauge ● 330 km /h 521 seats 25, 3 and 1.5 kV 200 m 8,000 kW 320.3 t Variable Variable gauge ● 330 km /h 521 seats 25, 3 and 1.5 kV 200 m 8,000 kW 320.3 t Variable Report - New high-speed train The new Talgo Avril trains for Renfe will be twelve car units, three of them being business class, eight tourist class and a cafeteria car. They have a traction unit at each end. Approximate comparison between the operating costs related to HS rolling stock from the previous generation and those of the new train 102/112 and 103 series average New 2016 Tender train Euros/train-km Eurocent/seat-km Euros/train-km Eurocent/seat-km Maintenance 3.31 0.899 2.49 0.479 Energy 1.73 0.470 1.52 0.291 Depreciation 1.44 0.391 1.19 0.229 Financials 0.98 0.266 0.81 0.156 Operating Pers. 0.65 0.176 0.65 0.125 TOTAL 8.11 2.202 6.66 1.279 Difference (%) -17.8 -41.9 Source: Compiled by author. Approximate data Remarks: The price of the new train without considering French signalling in 10 trains, and if 30 trains are bought Business class seats are arranged in rows of two-plus- Talgo assesses its reliability at around 1.25 million two, and the seats, ergonomic and upholstered in leather, include individual flat video screens on the kilometres without incidents, well above the 800,000 backrests and retractable ones on the tables. kilometres demanded in the tender, and availability at 99.09 percent. 2 Vía Libre • December 2016 Variable gauge ● 330 km /h 521 seats 25, 3 and 1.5 kV 200 m 8,000 kW 320.3 t Variable Variable gauge ● 330 km /h 521 seats 25, 3 and 1.5 kV 200 m 8,000 kW 320.3 t Variable Basic features of the new trains Train type Very high-speed and high-capacity electric articulated train Composition Traction unit + 12 articulated trailer cars + Traction unit Track gauge Standard (1,435) or Dual (1,435 + 1,668) Electrification voltage 25 kv 50 Hz AC + 3kV/1.5kV DC Maximum speed 330 km/h Length 200 m Cont. rim power (at 25 kV / 3 kV / 1.5 kV) 8,000 kW / 6,500 kW / 4,300 kW Max. regenerative / rheostatic brake power 8,000 kW + 5,560 kW Dead weight 320.3 t Working mass / Operating mass / Normal / exceptional load 323.4 t / 357.5 t / 366.5 t / 387 t Track control systems ETCS N2; LZB (such as STM); Asfa D. (On 10 trains: TVM 430, KVB, RPS) Communication systems GSM-R + Train-Ground communication Seats 521: 105 Business (including 2PRM) + 416 Tourist Seating arrangement 2+2 in Business; 3+2 in Tourist. All adjustable in running direction Toilets 11 (10 measuring 1.3 m2) and 1 PRM Doors per side 10 (1 per intermediate car) The vehicles, one by one 2 traction units. Each with a cab and 2 bogies with 2 driving axles 1 Business class end trailer car with 44 seats (2+2) 1 Business class trailer car with 36 seats (2+2) 1 Business class trailer car, 25 seats (including 2 PRM) (2+2) new spaces to place and keep luggage, even under the 1 cafeteria trailer car seats, up to 206 litres per seat. Tractions units will also 4 tourist class trailer cars with 49 seats each have a luggage van for groups and charters. 3 tourist class trailer cars with 54 seats each The cafeteria car will have a new bar adapted to 1 tourist class end trailer car with 58 seats people with reduced mobility and which will also have maximum accessibility from the platform. The cars can also be divided by areas, their interiors being adaptable to different functions - meeting room, nursery, exhibi- The composition would have two traction units, tion hall -, thanks to panels and mobile screens, offering a business end car with 44 seats, another business car great versatility to the operator. with 36 seats, an accessible business car with 25 seats (2 PRM seats), a cafeteria car, four tourist cars with 49 seats Price and efficiency each, three tourist cars with 54 seats and an end tourist car with 58 seats. The new Avril Renfe trains will be the cheapest Inside it can hold 521 passengers and two spac- and most efficient in the fleet and will become a useful es for wheelchairs in a typical composition with 80% of tool for Renfe’s cost control. In addition, this new rolling seats in tourist class and the remaining 20 in business stock will strengthen Renfe’s possibilities of competing class. Tourist class seats are arranged in rows of two- in foreign markets, as well as Spain’s leadership in the plus-three, on either side of the aisle, so that the twelve- high-speed segment. car composition can have as many as 550 seats if you opt These trains are not designed for specific lines in for a composition with only tourist class cars. Ergonomic particular, being used to rearrange the fleet as they are and leather upholstered seats include individual flat vid- added, both on existing lines and to meet new ones that eo screens on the backrests. are placed into service. The cars will offer WiFi, new lighting, adjustable seats throughout the train in the running direction and Vía Libre • December 2016 3 Variable gauge ● 330 km /h 521 seats 25, 3 and 1.5 kV 200 m 8,000 kW 320.3 t Variable Report - New high-speed train The tender: Talgo wins tecnnical and financial evaluations On 10 November 2015, the Board of Directors of Renfe Viajeros approved Talgo’s bid in this tender for the acqui- sition of up to thirty new high-speed and high-capacity trains and their maintenance for a minimum period of thirty years with the option to be extended for another ten years. The initial bidding price set by Renfe for the first block of 15 trains, including their maintenance for 40 years was of €1,401 million, while both blocks (15+15 trains) plus 40-years of maintenance amounted to €2,642 million. Fifteen trains have been bought initially along with their maintenance during three full decades, although Renfe could acquire 15 additional units in three different 5-unit tranches in the following 4 years. Technical evaluation In a public event Renfe announced the technical and fi- nancial evaluation of the seven bids that were finally sub- Bid Alternative mitted in the tender, one from CAF and two from Alstom, Alstom 25.145 24.517 Siemens and Talgo. CAF 22.616 - Patentes Talgo 28.114 29.616 In the technical section each of the bids could obtain a Siemens 21.840 21.572 maximum of 35 points and the Talgo proposals were the ones that obtained the highest scores, followed by the two from Alstom, the one from CAF and, finally, the two from Siemens. In order to assess the financial bids, with which tenderers could obtain a maximum of 65 points, the price of fifteen trains was analysed, the installation of French TVM signalling equipment in ten of them, and the cost of homologation in France. Their maintenance over thirty years was also assessed, with a discount rate of 6%, repairs, cleaning and the number of seats included, plus a correction factor of 0.7 points for use.