SPANISH National Railways has revised two rolling stock contracts originally awarded on February 24 2004 to reflect the requirements of the PEIT infrastructure plan (p459) and changing expectations of its future rolling stock requirements.
A consortium of CAF and Alstom was awarded a €583·8m contract to supply 45 gauge-changing EMUs for regional high speed services. The suppliers have now agreed to equip 29 of these sets for medium-distance services at a cost of €387·3m. Deliveries are scheduled for 2007-10 and Renfe will undertake 20% of manufacture and 50% of maintenance of the trains, which will each have 270 seats in a single class and no catering facilities. Worth €213·7m, the 16 remaining sets of the order are to be delivered in 2007-08 for long-distance services, each with 238 first and second class seats and onboard catering.
In 2004 Talgo and Bombardier had been awarded a €372·5m contract to supply 26 gauge-changing trainsets for high speed services, each comprising two power cars and nine passenger cars. Now worth €367·2m, the renegotiated contract provides for delivery of of 46 power cars and 252 trailers, formed as 18 Class 130 trainsets with 11 trailer cars each, plus 10 power cars and 54 trailers, due to enter service in 2007.
All six rolling stock contracts awarded shortly before last year’s general election have been revised in a similar manner, including that placed with Talgo for 10 overnight trainsets (RG 7.05 p395) which will now be fitted with reclining seats in place of couchettes.
- Appearing before the Housing & Development Committee of the lower house of the Spanish parliament, Josefina Cruz, Secretary General for Infrastructure at the Ministry of Development, suggested that Renfe could form joint ventures with CAF and Talgo to assemble and maintain rolling stock. A similar agreement already exists with Siemens, although creating the new venture has proved a complex task.
