Renfe Class 102

Renfe Class 102
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	2005
Founder	Talgo, Bombardier Transportation
Headquarters	Madrid, Spain
Products	High-speed trains (Talgo 350)
Parent	Renfe

The Renfe Class 102, also known as S-102 and commonly referred to as the "Pato" due to its distinctive duck-bill shaped front, is a high-speed push-pull train operated by Spain's national railway company, Renfe, primarily for AVE services. This model utilizes power car technology developed by Bombardier Transportation and is marketed by Talgo under the name Talgo 350. A closely related version with altered seating arrangements is identified as the S-112.

Background, design and orders

Manufactured by Talgo with power units supplied by Adtranz (later acquired by Bombardier), the Class 102 was chiefly engineered for service on the Madrid-Barcelona corridor. The trainsets incorporate Talgo VII passenger cars designed for speeds up to , although the maximum certified operational speed is limited to because of constraints imposed by the eight traction motors. These trains can be configured with as many as 12 coaches, flanked by a power car at each end.

The power cars feature an aerodynamic "beak"-style nose that diminishes noise during high-speed travel, which led to the train’s "Pato" moniker. The achieved maximum speed aligns with contract specifications aiming for a Madrid-Barcelona journey time of approximately two and a half hours. This velocity was selected over higher speed targets primarily due to budgetary limitations associated with the increased power requirements at greater speeds.

Renfe Class 112

In 2004, Renfe placed an initial order for 16 units of this series. Subsequently, an additional contract was made for 30 similar trains classified as class 112 (S-112), which were scheduled for delivery between 2008 and 2010. The first unit from this production batch was introduced in June 2010.

Introduction, testing and operations

During prototype testing—later repurposed as test train Class 330 by track authority ADIF—the train reached a speed of on 11 October 2002.

Type approval procedures commenced in 2004, requiring test runs at speeds exceeding the target maximum by 10%. On 26 June 2004, a new speed record of was established.

Following successful certification, the first eight production units began operation on the Madrid-Zaragoza-Lleida route on 26 February 2005. Early service speeds were capped at due to limitations in train control and signalling systems.

The introduction of the ETCS L1 signalling system enabled gradual increases in operating velocity. Since 7 May 2007, trains have been authorized to run at speeds up to .

With the stabilization of the ETCS L2 system, these trains can complete the 621 km Madrid-Barcelona journey in about two hours and thirty minutes at speeds reaching . Nonetheless, non-stop services are currently operated by Class 103 trains; S-102 units typically service routes that include intermediate stops, resulting in travel times between two hours fifty-seven minutes and three hours twenty-three minutes.

Export

The Talgo 350 model derived from the Class 102 design is employed on the Haramain high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia, following a contract awarded in October 2011. Operations on this line began in September 2018.

Notes

External links

Video of Talgo 350 YouTube