larger convoys
The Ministry of Transport faced criticism from the Principality and Cantabria as it moved to address the Feve issue. After issuing apologies, dismissing two mid-level executives, and pledging to prioritize the metric-tram network, the ministry completed in ten days an administrative process that had eluded resolution for two years. Production for 31 metric-track trains ordered from CAF in June 2020 was halted. A new standard has been prepared and will be published in the Official State Gazette today.
Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez, together with the leaders of the Principality and Cantabria, Adrián Barbón and Miguel Ángel Revilla, had pledged to expedite the ministerial order to the highest possible level, ensuring legal authority for implementation. An exception would apply when the tunnel clearance indicators for wagon dimensions allow for convoys with metric measurements. Although the ministry had initially set March 15 as the deadline, pressure from the minister bore fruit, and the State Railway Safety Agency, responsible for drafting the order, has already taken action. The document is complete, ready for publication and practical application.
Raquel Sánchez sees a key objective being realized: approving the ministerial order before Monday’s summit with Barbón and Revilla. The new standard will enable the use of a comparative method, which would permit future trains to share dimensions with the largest trains now operating on the Feve network. Official statements from the ministry, Renfe, and CAF emphasize that the order is essential because current rules require more clearance on the sides and along tunnel roofs for newly built trains than for those already in service.
Given the narrow Feve tunnels in certain sections, the new units will need to be notably smaller than today’s rolling stock. Some Adif sources, however, contest this interpretation, asserting that the comparative method can be applied under European regulations without the need for a new ministerial order. The debate centers on whether national authorization is mandatory or if European law suffices to permit dimension-matching across services.
As reported by La Nueva España, the trains intended to “imitate” CAF’s standard are the 3600 series, which have served four Asturias lines for nearly twenty-five years. These same units were selected by Renfe to prototype the forthcoming hydrogen-powered train. The Renfe dossier for the 3600 series provides detailed specifications: a width of 2,569 millimeters, a roof height of 3,760 millimeters above the rail, a nominal power of 570 horsepower with a continuous rating of 285 horsepower at 1,950 revolutions per minute. Each unit weighs 56.5 tons, measures 35.3 meters in length between buffers, is equipped with a Siemens motor, and can reach a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. The ongoing work aims to harmonize these dimensions with the latest safety and efficiency standards, ensuring reliable operation within the existing rail ecosystem and preparing for a potential hydrogen future, consistent with broader European rail modernization efforts. (Attribution: Renfe technical dossier and regional press coverage)