AVE Class 103

The RENFE Class 103 ( provided by the manufacturer Velaro E, E for España, Spanish for Spain; sporadically ICE 350 E ) is the first developed based on the Velaro platform exclusively by Siemens high speed train. The Spanish National Railways (RENFE ) appointed as the first railway company a total of 26 eight-car, as Velaro E called multiple units of the class 103 They were further developed in technology and interior furnishings from the German ICE 3 out well adapted to the area of ​​operation and the operator wishes. The operator called an operating speed of 350 km / h as well as a division into three classes of cars. Since 2007, the drive trains on different routes regelspurigen planned in Spain.

History

Beginning of 1999, wrote the Spanish railway company RENFE 32 high-speed trains on the 2004 proposed opening high-speed line Madrid- Barcelona international. Siemens participated with the Velaro. The other three players were Talgo / Adtranz with the Talgo 350, AnsaldoBreda with the ETR 500 and Alstom / CAF with three variants of the TGV. The consortium of Alstom and CAF offered here on a modernized variant of the ( based on the TGV) RENFE Series 100, the TGV Duplex and the AGV. Bombardier had also applied, but could not offer a suitable product from the perspective of RENFE and have has not enough high-speed experience. The production of the trains should mostly take place in Spain. At the same time, the manufacturer should take over the maintenance.

In mid-2000 the four prequalified vendors were invited to submit an offer within three months. The number of units to be procured was between 26 and 40 end of 2000, delays in awarding foreseeable. On 24 March 2001, the Board of Directors of RENFE unanimously decided to split the project: In addition to the Talgo consortium, which was entrusted with the production of 16 Talgo 350 trainsets, Siemens received an order for 16 Velaro trains. Had the contract for the construction of 16 Velaro E1 ( series Velaro E1 ) and 16 Talgo 350 trainsets a total volume of 740.4 million euros, 338 million euros were attributable to the Talgo / Bombardier consortium.

Siemens planned at the company's Cornella perform 30 percent of the production ( in Barcelona), while 20 percent of the work should be forwarded to the RENFE. The award of further production orders to Spain was sought. Siemens had committed itself by participating in the tender to manufacture the vehicles to 90 percent in Spain. While Siemens was planning to manufacture traction motors and inverters at its plant in Cornella, initially lacked capacity for the production of the trains in Spain. The president of the Spanish Siemens Regional Company had the defeated bidders Alstom and CAF offered to take over parts of the Velaro production.

Following the won calls the financing of the project was concretized. In addition to various leasing options here include involvement was considered the operation of the high speed line Madrid- Barcelona. The contract for the 16 trains was signed in July 2001.

At the fair Eurailspeed was in October 2002 in Madrid a model in 1:1 scale, a so-called mock-up presented.

On 23 December 2005, the RENFE ten more units (name Velaro E2) ordered as part of a four - billion-euro contract for the procurement of new vehicles. The ten re-ordered multiple units are largely identical to the first series. The total value of this order is 430 million euros, 240 million for the trains and 190 million euros for the maintenance over 14 years. The Board of Directors of the RENFE had released the order on two sessions in late February and early March 2004. Overall, the order of 141 high-speed trains has been released at these two dates, including 30 more Talgo 350 and Talgo 250 26

The original Treaty of 2001 stipulated to be carried out the final assembly of trains from CAF and Alstom in Spain. As a result of quality problems the outsourced parts of production to the Siemens sites Uerdingen and Prague were retrieved. Only the final assembly and the static commissioning of two of the eight types of cars (C4 and C5) was held at the plant of Valladolid WITH RENFE in Spain. In October 2004, the contract was canceled with CAF and Alstom.

The first unit was delivered on 22 June 2005 at the RENFE for dynamic operation. In summer, the commissioning of the first two units in the depot La Sagra in Madrid began. The official presentation of the train took place at the Siemens plant in Krefeld- Uerdingen on 25 July the same year. Beginning of December 2005 began the track testing on the new Madrid -Seville line between La Sagra ( at Toledo) and (mostly ) Ciudad Real. The tests were successfully completed in August 2006.

At InnoTrans 2006 end and two intermediate cars of a Velaro E were exhibited in Berlin.

The last train of the Velaro E1 was handed over to the customer in November 2006, the first train of the Velaro E 2 in July 2007. Back in 2004, should have been delivered the first vehicles. Due to a delay in delivery, the Group paid a penalty of 12.9 million euros. Later, the company agreed to pay a further 8.1 million euros, with the maximum penalty to 48 million euros ( 12 percent of contract value ) was increased under an agreement. By the start of operations in June 2007, 18 of the 26 trainsets had been delivered. The contract value including maintenance and technical service for 14 years is more than one billion euros.

The maintenance of multiple units is done by NERTUS, a joint venture between manufacturers and operators in the RENFE depots La Sagra and Cerro Negro. As another depot for high speed trains shunting yard Barcelona Can Tunis is gone the end of 2008. Until then, the trains were parked in the long underground station tracks from Barcelona- Sants.

Future

For the high-speed transport to France for eight to twenty additional units of the class 103 could have been commissioned, the RENFE has canceled the tender process. Reason had financial problems. As a substitute, the RENFE had the remodeling of old ten units of the series given on 1 February 2011 at Alstom 100 in order.

Use

A first scheduled excessive use began on 22 June 2007 on the finished portion of the LAV Corredor Noreste (Madrid- Tarragona ), as well as on the existing high-speed line Madrid- Seville. After completion of all trajectories between Tarragona and Barcelona run both series, among others, February 20, 2008 at the passenger service on the 621 kilometers of the LAV Corredor Noreste between Madrid and Barcelona every hour. You need for this distance two hours and 38 minutes. A further extension for higher speeds is to be. The trainsets will also get the finished in December 2007 Córdoba -Málaga high-speed line to use. According to the infrastructure company ADIF from mid-February 2008 testing of safety systems for 350 km / h have begun. The passenger service was preceded by approximately 50,000 km test drives.

In the first year of operation, the mileage was between two technical faults with more than ten minutes late with more than 600,000 km.

Technical Equipment

Externally received the white basically Velaro E is a narrow silver stripe, below which a wider purple - colored stripe is. The first trains of the series contributed under the old color scheme of the Spanish rail company RENFE a blue trim.

The total traction and auxiliary systems equipment, such as the ICE 3, mounted under the floor. In order to meet the intended travel time between Madrid and Barcelona, ​​the traction power to 8.8 MW, the maximum cruise speed to 350 km / h was increased. According to Siemens Velaro E, making it the fastest series in Europe. The internal sound levels at 350 km / h around 95 dBA. The traction motors are identical with those of the ICE 3 to achieve the maximum speed of 350 km / h but the gear ratio has been changed.

The train has three next wave brake discs per wheel set on wear-free regenerative braking by the traction motors each motor bogie, which allow energy recovery. On four cars of the train rheostatic brakes were also installed. These come as a fallback used if a recovery in the network is not possible, and, in general during rapid braking. Independently from the overhead line can thus be achieved a braking power of 7,200 kW.

For the climatic conditions of Spain - between the hot Mediterranean climate of Barcelona and possible cold snaps in a stretch of 1,200 meters above sea level - has seen many modifications. So the machine has to work according to the specification between -20 ° C and 50 ° C, full traction up to 45 ° C, and upgrades to ensure up to 80 ° C. The cold vapor air conditioning was carried out largely redundant and need external an internal temperature of 25 ° C at 40 ° C can be produced; the refrigerating capacity per trolley was raised to 37, the heating power to 27 kW. The producer guarantees the functionality of up to 50 ° C ambient temperature; the climate circles of drivers and passengers were completely separated. The changes to the air conditioning made ​​against the ICE 3 significant changes to the vehicle power supply necessary.

Also, the fire protection concept was developed significantly: The technique was constructed so redundant that even with a full fire a limited Emergency operation should be possible. The train meets the requirements of the TSI.

As ETCS Level 2 train control systems were ( for the Madrid- Barcelona), automatic train (for driving on the new Madrid -Sevilla ) and ASFA installed ( as a fallback ). In addition to GSM - R, which is used between Madrid and Barcelona, ​​an analogue train radio was installed for biking the new line to Seville. Each cab has five displays, including a central Driver Machine Interface for control of automatic train control systems.

Interior decoration

The interior design is quite different compared to the ICE 3. Thus, the entry rooms are decorated in light maple wood, which is crossed by horizontally extending chrome trim. In contrast to the ICE 3, the entry-level rooms are equipped with luggage racks.

Almost all seats are rotated and aligned before each ride by the staff in the direction of travel. All seats are equipped with reading lights, audio system ( four radio, MP3 four channels) and vertically displaceable head pillows ( with drape ), the number of seats with footrests and newspaper networks. 15-inch video monitors are available in all cars (even in the lounges at the end of the train ), dare to be controlled, installed below the ceiling; Films can be shown by three DVD players from; which monitors the passenger information system at the end of the car can be operated by touch (touch screen). In contrast to the ICE, there is no waste separation system in the Velaro E.

The Velaro E were intended only as a open seating car trains. Except for lounges at both ends of the train there are no compartments. The units was planned as a mixed -smoking and Non smoking trains, but operate as a pure Non smoking trains. The seats are usually numbered in ascending order as in aircraft in rows of one, the respective seats with the letters A to D referred. Due to the proposed compulsory reservation there is no reservation ads.

In the eight cars 404 seats are housed in three car classes:

• In the clase Club, the highest category, 37 seats are available as open-plan area and a ( marketed separately ) Conference compartment behind the cab is available in the end cars (C1). The entire glass partition between the driver and passenger compartment can be electrically transparent switch from the driver's cab or change in opaque milk glass (see Elektrotropie ). In the area of interchange there is a galley. A central corridor separates double and single seats (2 1 seating ). The seats are covered with black leather, the seat depth adjustable; the seat dividers in row seats is 1000 mm to 1980 mm at table seats; The seat width per double seat is located at 1320 mm. Pillows and folding tables on row seats are significantly larger than in the first class of the ICE 3 per seat is a power outlet available at the tables, an additional lamp in the gangway and a shoe shine. A service representative will be responsible only for this car.
• The clase Preferente is comparable to the first class in the ICE Deutsche Bahn. In two cars ( C2 and C3) are 103 seats in 2 1 seating with a seat divider of 980 mm ( table spaces: 1980 mm ) are available; the width of each double seat is located at 1320 mm. The seats are covered with blue-gray flat fabric and not adjustable in depth. Two sockets are per double seat available.
• In the four coaches of the Clase Turista (C5 to C8), comparable to the second class of the Deutsche Bahn are 264 seats in 2 2 seating ( lounge: 2 1) at 920 mm spacing ( table spaces: 1900 mm ) to available. The non- depth-adjustable seats are covered with turquoise velor, the seat width per double seat is located at 1075 mm. In the end cars there next to the lounge ( behind the cab ) and a kitchen for the staff.

Between the clase Preferente and clase Turista there is a service cart (C4 ) with train conductor compartment, coffee shop, bistro, service area with trolleys and luggage room, hot air and freezer, coffee machine, beer tap and glass refrigerated display case. In this car issued baggage is stored.

The equipment of the four galleys is different and is based on the services of the corresponding class, the drinks ( Turista class ) to menus in place (club class ) is sufficient. For example, while only one cooling system is present in the Turista kitchen, stands in Club Galley also a coffee maker, a heat gun and a dishwasher. In the galley the cafeteria most of the facilities are available. To improve the handling of the car Trolleys transitions were flattened.

In contrast to the ICE 3 are located in each car, with the exception of the dining car, toilets. In addition to a towel dispenser and a hand dryer has been installed.

On 6 November 2008, the Velaro E received in its construction the Railway Interiors Innovation and Excellence Award 2008 and therefore the most best design of the year. At 10-11. November 2008, during the IPMA World Congress in Rome, the Velaro E2 project won the prestigious Project Excellence.

Seat with wing - folding table in the Club class

Kitchen at the end of the car club car

One of the two coaches of the Preferente class, the middle one of the three classes

Vestibule of the Greater car with toilet (right) and luggage rack (left). In the background a maple veneer can be seen, which was provided to protect against damage by trolleys with impact protection bars made ​​of stainless steel.

Record run

On 16 July 2006, a Velaro E reached on a downhill section between Guadalajara and Calatayud ( Madrid- Zaragoza ) a speed of 403.7 km / h He was, without exhausting its full power reserve, the fastest series-production of the world, because this was not a specific prototype, but has reached this speed without tags from the state. According to Siemens, the train can reach over 420 km / h.