Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger
trainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway....
s on the 1668-mm "
Iberian gaugeIberian gauge is the name given to the gauge most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal: namely ....
" and 1435-mm "
European gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
" networks of the
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
national railway
infrastructureInfrastructure can be defined as the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function....
company ADIF (
Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias).
The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National Railway Network, RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) created on 24 January 1941 with the
nationalizationNationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being state...
of Spain's railways.
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger
trainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway....
s on the 1668-mm "
Iberian gaugeIberian gauge is the name given to the gauge most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal: namely ....
" and 1435-mm "
European gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
" networks of the
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
national railway
infrastructureInfrastructure can be defined as the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function....
company ADIF (
Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias).
History
The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National Railway Network, RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) created on 24 January 1941 with the
nationalizationNationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being state...
of Spain's railways. As per EU Directive 91/440, RENFE was divided into Renfe Operadora (operations) and ADIF (infrastructure) on 1 January 2005. At the same time, the existing RENFE double-arrowed logo (nicknamed the "galleta",
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
for biscuit), first introduced in 1971 and facelifted in 1983, with a sans-serif font and again in 2000, with a mixed case italic font, has been replaced by a dark purple lower-case wordmark designed by Interbrand, and also replaces some of the separate logos used by the other sectors, although the old RENFE logo remains in use in some stations in Spain and on maps to indicate a RENFE station.
The Railway Sector Act of 2003 separated the management, maintenance and construction of rail infrastructure from train operation. The first activity is now the responsibility of a new public company, Administrador de Infrestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), while Renfe (full name: Renfe Operadora) owns the rolling-stock and remains responsible for the planning, marketing and operation of passenger and freight services (though no longer with a legal monopoly).
Renfe Operadora inherited the management model of the business units of the old RENFE, which made Renfe Operadora responsible for the operation of the following passenger and freight services. In January 2006, Renfe Operadora restructured the main business units into four:
- Dirección General de Servicios Públicos de Cercanías y Media Distancia: responsible for commuter services (Cercanías), medium-distance high-speed rail AVE services and medium-range regional services (Regionales and Media Distancia). However, control of some Cercanías services are transferred to Spain's Autonomous communities.
- Dirección General de Servicios de Larga Distancia: responsible for long-distance intercity and high-speed rail services (except medium-distance AVE services and Media Distancia, which is managed by the above business unit.
- Dirección General de Servicios de Mercancías y Logística: responsible for freight services.
- Dirección General de Fabricación y Mantenimiento: responsible for rolling stock maintenance and manufacture (also known as Integria)
The Spanish State railways are currently engaged in a major transformation and modernisation process to keep up with the liberalisation of railway transportation elsewhere in Europe. Key to this effort is a major overhaul of their dated
ICTInformation and communication technologies is an umbrella term that covers all technical means for processing and communicating information. The term has gained popularity partially due to the convergence of information technology and telecom technology...
(information and communication technology) systems through an
ICTInformation and communication technologies is an umbrella term that covers all technical means for processing and communicating information. The term has gained popularity partially due to the convergence of information technology and telecom technology...
renewal project scheduled for completion at the end of 2010 under the responsibility of Corporate Director of Information Systems
Oscar Gomez BarberoOscar Gomez Barbero is the current Corporate Director of Information Systems at RENFE, the Spanish state railways...
. So far the company has introduced improvements to their internet ticket sales and adopted new
ICTInformation and communication technologies is an umbrella term that covers all technical means for processing and communicating information. The term has gained popularity partially due to the convergence of information technology and telecom technology...
management practices within a "more industrial" organisational model, though Mr Gomez has publicly acknowledged the difficulties in transforming what still remains a very hierarchical organisation.
Operations
The company operates some 15,000 km of railways, most of which are constructed to the
broadBroad gauge railways use a rail gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For a list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
"Iberian" gauge of 1668 mm, the same as that used in
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
but wider than the gauge of 1435 mm which is standard in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and most of western and central
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. The newer
high-speedHigh-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200 km/h and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph by the United...
(
AVEAlta Velocidad Española is a service of high speed trains operating at speeds of up to on dedicated track in Spain. The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird"....
) network, however, has been built to the international
standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of 1435 mm gauge in anticipation of its eventual connection to the rest of the European railway system. For this reason, the 1435-mm gauge is generally termed "European gauge" in Spain.
The Spanish high-speed system is called
AVEAlta Velocidad Española is a service of high speed trains operating at speeds of up to on dedicated track in Spain. The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird"....
. (A
lta V
elocidad Española
, Spanish High Speed). The logo incorporates a feature which resembles a bird (ave in Spanish). The high-speed lines are built to the
standard European gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used rail gauge. Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(1435 mm).
Construction of the
high-speed railHigh-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200 km/h and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph by the United...
line between
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
and
SevilleSeville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level. The inhabitants of the city are known as Sevillanos or...
began in 1988 and operation commenced in 1991. Train speed on the Seville line is 300 km/h. The second high-speed rail line, from Madrid to
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
, was completed in 2007 with the inaugural service commencing at 6 am February 20, 2008. The operational speed on this route is 350 km/h. The greater part of the line, from Madrid to
LleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain.It had 131,731 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raïmat and Sucs...
, was put in service on
October 11, 2003October 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December-Events:...
, with connection to
HuescaHuesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon...
from
ZaragozaZaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Kingdom of Aragon, Spain...
. The third high-speed line,
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
-
ToledoToledo is a municipality located in central Spain, 70 km south of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Toledo and of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha...
was opened in
November 2005-Portal:Current events:...
, followed by the spur from
Córdoba||-||-||}Córdoba is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. Located at 37.88° North, 4.77° West, on the Guadalquivir river, it was founded in ancient Roman times as Corduba by Claudius Marcellus...
to Málaga as far as
AntequeraAntequera is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" because of its central location between Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville...
in 2007. Another high-speed route from Madrid to
Valladolid||-||} is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, upon the Pisuerga River and within the Ribera del Duero wine-making region. It is the capital of the province of Valladolid and of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.- Etymology :...
was opened in 2007, and other lines to
ValenciaValencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 810,064 in 2008. It is the 22nd-most populous municipality in the European Union and 35th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a...
and
LisbonLisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the district of Lisbon and the main city of the Lisbon region...
are being designed. The route Madrid-Galicia is under construction between the major Galician cities.
Other lines operated by Renfe include
AlarisAlaris is the brand name of the regional rail network run by the Spanish national rail company RENFE that connects the major cities of Madrid and Valencia. Alaris services currently use ETR 490 trainsets, as well as S-120 and S-130 units.-History:...
, a moderate-speed line between Madrid and Valencia.
In addition to
intercityIntercity or Inter-city means "between cities". It can refer to inter-city transportation by rail, bus, truck or airline. There are many transport companies with Intercity or Inter-city as their brand.* Inter-city rail services...
transportTransport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Transport is performed by modes, such as air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space...
, Renfe operates commuter train systems, known as
CercaníasCercanías is the name given to the commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas. In Catalonia and Valencia, however, the term is replaced by Rodalies , while the bilingual designation Cercanías - Aldirikoak is used in the Basque Country.Operated by the national rail company Renfe,...
(or Rodalies in Catalonia and Cercanías-Aldirikoak in the Basque Country), in eleven metropolitan areas, including
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
and
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
. The former was targeted in the
March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombingsThe 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004 , killing 191 people and wounding 1,800...
. While the latter and some of the regional trains going
to
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
have been without service since 20 October 2007. In some cities Renfe shares the market with other commuter railway operators, such as
FGCFerrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain...
in Barcelona.
Ticketing procedures
The Grandes Líneas (inter-city) division of Renfe operates a rather peculiar ticketing system when compared to industry norms. Any reservation by telephone or internet is allocated a "localizador" or booking reference. This is a code that simply acts as a reference to the reservation and does not substitute a normal paper ticket. A passenger is allowed to board an inter-city train with your "localizador", however, if the passenger misses the train, the entire booking is invalidated, including the return ticket. Numerous unsuspecting passengers have had the unpleasant experience of being forced to purchase an additional ticket (often only expensive 1st class remains available) for the return journey, having missed their outbound train. Many passengers reasonably assume that the booking reference is confirmation of your seat, however, this appears not to be the case.
Passenger rolling stock
Renfe Operadora counts on the following rolling stock and commercial products inside of its two divisions that contain services of travellers:
D.G.S.P. Cercanías y Media Distancia
Cercanías:
- RENFE Class 440 EMU
- RENFE Class 440R EMU
- RENFE Class 442 EMU
- RENFE Class 446 EMU
- RENFE Class 447 EMU
- RENFE Class 450 EMU
- RENFE Class 451 EMU
- RENFE Civia (RENFE Class 462, 463, 464 and 465) EMU
- RENFE Class 592 DMU
Media Distancia:
- RENFE Class 432 EMU
- RENFE Class 440 EMU
- RENFE Class 470 EMU
- RENFE Class 444 EMU
- RENFE Class 448 EMU
- RENFE Class 448R EMU
- RENFE Class 592 DMU
- RENFE Class 593 DMU
- RENFE Class 594 DMU
- RENFE Class 596 DMU
- RENFE Class 598 DMU
- RENFE Class 104 EMU
- RENFE Class 130 EMU
D.G.S.P. Larga Distancia
Grandes Líneas services and Largo recorrido
| Service | Rolling stock | Route(s) | Image |
|---|
| Conventional RENFE traditional services, with conventional rolling stock |
| Diurno |
Locomotive + Passenger cars |
Basque Country <> Galicia / Salamanca |
|
| Estrella |
Locomotive + sleeper cars |
AtlánticoCosta BravaGaliciaPío BarojaPicassoSudexpress/Surex |
|
| With the disappearance of the steam and the generalization of electric trains and diesel, some have improved their rolling stock whilst others originally conserve the original rolling stock for the service. |
AlarisAlaris is the brand name of the regional rail network run by the Spanish national rail company RENFE that connects the major cities of Madrid and Valencia. Alaris services currently use ETR 490 trainsets, as well as S-120 and S-130 units.-History:...
|
RENFE Class 490 |
Madrid <> ValenciaMadrid <> CastellónMadrid <> GandíaMadrid <> Oropesa de MarBarcelona <> ValenciaBarcelona <> Alicante |
|
| Altaria Altaria is the brand name of a group of fast long-distance passenger railway services operated by Spanish national railway company Renfe Operadora and connecting Madrid to Algeciras, Alicante, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cartagena, Granada, Irún, Logroño, Murcia, Pamplona, and San Sebastián.Altaria trains...
|
Locomotive + Talgo cars IV/VI/VII |
Madrid <> CádizMadrid <> HuelvaMadrid <> AlgecirasMadrid <> GranadaMadrid <> AlicanteMadrid <> CartagenaMadrid <> Murcia |
|
| Alvia Alvia is a high speed train in Spain used by RENFE for long distance service. The trains are unique in their ability to use bothIberian gauge and standard gauge, which allows them to utilize the recently constructed high-speed lines in part of the journey....
|
RENFE Class 120 |
Madrid <> PamplonaMadrid <> LogroñoMadrid <> HendayaMadrid <> IrúnBarcelona <> Vigo |
| RENFE Class 130 |
Madrid <> AlicanteMadrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Barcelona-Sants
Barcelona-Sants <> Málaga-Mª Zambrano
Barcelona-Sants <> Zaragoza-Delicias
Barcelona-Sants <> Sevilla-Santa Justa |
| Arco Arco is a commercial passenger train service operated in Spain by Renfe Operadora. Arco fully renovates and refurbishes Renfe's B11x-10200 series of passenger trains. New bogies, capable of working at 220 km/h, were added...
|
Locomotive + conventional passenger cars refitted for 200 km/h operation |
García Lorca Barcelona <> Extremadura/Andalucía |
|
AVEAlta Velocidad Española is a service of high speed trains operating at speeds of up to on dedicated track in Spain. The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird"....
|
RENFE Class 100The AVE Class 100 is the first series of AVE high speed trains for the Spanish state-run railway company RENFE.The Class 100 is manufactured by Alstom and is directly derived from the French TGV. It is made up of 2 4,400 kW power cars with 2 motorised bogies each and 8 passenger cars with shared...
|
Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Sevilla-Santa Justa |
|
RENFE Class 102The AVE Class 102 or S-102 is a series of AVE high speed trains for the Spanish state-run railway company RENFE. Outside of AVE service, Talgo markets this train as Talgo 350....
|
Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> HuescaMadrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Zaragoza-Delicias]Estación de Madrid-Chamartín <> Valladolid-Campo GrandeMadrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Málaga-Mª Zambrano |
|
RENFE Class 103The AVE Class 103 is a series of AVE high speed trains for the Spanish state-run railway company RENFE.The AVE Class 103 is the fastest conventional rail train in commercial use, although they don't reach their top speed until Spanish authorities deem the train control system ETCS Level 2...
|
Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Barcelona-SantsBarcelona-Sants <> Málaga-Mª ZambranoBarcelona-Sants <> Zaragoza-DeliciasBarcelona-Sants <> Sevilla-Santa Justa |
|
| Euromed Euromed is a high speed rail service which uses series 101 EMU rolling stock with bogies adapted for use on the 1,668mm Iberian gauge track. Traction current, supplied by overhead lines, can be either 3,000 volts, direct current or 25,000 volts, 50 Hz, alternating current...
|
RENFE Class 101 |
Barcelona <> Valencia <> Alicante |
|
| Intercity |
RENFE Class 448 |
Madrid-Chamartín <> Hendaya |
|
| Talgo Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
|
Locomotive + Talgo cars III/III-RD/IV/VI/VII |
Catalán Talgo Barcelona <> MontpellierCovadonga/Finisterre Barcelona <> Galicia/Gijón Mare Nostrum Cartagena <> MontpellierMiguel de Unamuno Barcelona <> País Vasco/SalamancaBarcelona <> LorcaBarcelona <> MurciaMadrid <> GaliciaAlicante <> GaliciaMadrid <> AlmeríaMadrid <> BadajozMadrid <> Bilbao |
|
| Trenhotel |
Locomotive + Talgo cars and sleeper cars |
Antonio MachadoFrancisco de GoyaGibralfaroJoan MiróPau CasalsRías GallegasSalvador Dalí |
External links