Talgo (officially Patentes Talgo, SAU) is a Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high-speed passenger trains. Talgo is an abbreviation of Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol (English: Lightweight articulated train Goicoechea Oriol).
The creation of Talgo can be largely credited to the work of Alejandro Goicoechea and José Luis Oriol.[3] During the 1930s, Goicoechea, a pioneering railway engineer, sought to produce a new generation of rolling stock that would be primarily composed of metal, rather than wood; to reduce operational cost, he also emphasised lightweight yet sturdy construction, while a low center of gravity would deter derailing and thus permit higher operating speeds. In 1942, financial backing for the construction of a prototype train was provided by Oriol, which believed in Goicoechea's concepts. The two produced the agreement that established Patentes Talgo as a company that same year. The prototype train would emerge as the Talgo I.[3]
During the late 1940s, Talgo came to recognise that Spain, and the wider European continent, were in a poor economic condition following the Second World War and so were unlikely to be customers for new rolling stock from an unproven manufacturer. Furthermore, the company was keen to acquire advanced technical knowledge and designs, so a favourable agreement was struck with American Car and Foundry (ACF) to collaborate on the manufacture of the Talgo II in the United States.[3] The first vehicles arrived in Spain in 1950, enabling the first commercial Talgo II service to be run on 14 July of that year, between Madrid, Spain and Hendaye, France. It was the first train in Spain to be authorized to travel at a service speed of up to 75 miles per hour (120km/h). Continued collaboration with ACF led to the creation of the Talgo III during the 1960s. It was brought into service between Madrid and Barcelona in August 1964.[3]
International rail travel between Spain and the rest of Europe had been historically hampered by the differing track gauge at either side of the Pyrenees.[3] Recognising the value in effectively overcoming that impediment, Talgo developed its own variable-gauge vehicle system, which permitted the first international Talgo to be introduced on passenger service between Barcelona, Spain and Geneva, Switzerland, in 1969. Variable-gauge trains were soon a common feature of overnight services between various Spanish cities and destinations across Western Europe.[3] Even into the 21st century, the variable-gauge system has largely remained unchanged, even on newly-built rolling stock.[3]La Gineta is the site of a test track of the Talgo RD railway gauge changer.
During the 1970s, Talgo sought to better accommodate the demand for higher speed trains in Spain. As a consequence of its mountainous terrain, curved tracks prevailed, despite restricting line speeds due to the centrifugal forces exerted on the trains and their contents.[3] To permit higher operating speeds under such conditions, the company developed a tilting train, the Talgo Pendular, that automatically compensated for centrifugal forces by tilting appropriately on bends. Without needing to modify the track infrastructure, this tilting train allowed operating speeds to be increased by up to 25 percent over conventional trains.[3]
During the 1970s and 1980s, the company focused its activities largely on the manufacturing of coaching stock rather than locomotives. A renewed focus on locomotive development, incorporating the automatic variable gauge system, came about during the 1990s. The Talgo XXI pioneered various technologies for the company, including new high-speed running gear and hybrid propulsion technology.[3] In 1988, the Spanish government announced its decision to construct a new dedicated high-speed line between Madrid and Seville. Talgo was keen to produce rolling stock for the new venture and immediately set about designing a new series of trains, the Talgo 350.[3] A key feature of this trainset would be its maximum speed, which was 300km/h (190mph). In 1998, Talgo partnered with the multinational rolling stock manufacturer Adtranz to collaborate on its bid to secure a contract to provide the rolling stock for the new high-speed line.[3]
The company's long-term primary customer, and thus the main source of its revenues, is the Spanish railway operator Renfe.[4] By 2001, Talgo was reportedly spending between 10 and 12 percent of its revenues on various research and development programmes.[5]
On 12 May 1999, Talgo announced it had signed a deal to acquire the Finnish rolling stock manufacturer Transtech Oy, which it subsequently reorganised as the wholly-owned subsidiary Talgo Oy.[6] In March 2007, Talgo sold its shares in Talgo Oy to a combination of its local management and other Finnish investors, after which the Transtech name was readopted.[7]
In recent decades, Talgo has made a renewed effort to expand its presence internationally. During the late 2010s, Talgo made arrangements to establish a new train manufacturing site in the United Kingdom in response to orders for its trains having been placed by multiple British railway operators.[10][11] In the early 2020s, the company invested in new manufacturing facilities in India with the aiming of securing sizable orders from across the country's railways.[12]
Design
Left: Conventional bogie system. Right: Talgo System
Talgo trains are best known for their unconventional articulated railway passenger cars that use in-between carriage bogies that Talgo patented in 1941, similar to the earlier Jacobs bogie. The wheels are mounted in pairs but not joined by an axle and the bogies are shared between coaches rather than underneath individual coaches. This allows a railway car to take a turn at higher speeds with less hunting oscillation. As the coaches are not mounted directly onto wheel bogies, the coaches are more easily insulated from track noise. This design has been proposed for further utilisation in the Talgo 22, double deck train with stepless access from the platform to the lower deck and between carriages.[13]
Since the introduction of the Talgo Pendular in 1980, the train tilts naturally inwards on curves, allowing it to run faster on curves without causing discomfort to passengers. The carriage tilting system pivots around the top of the suspension columns, which has the effect of partially cancelling the effects of lateral acceleration when cornering.
Trains
Talgo trains are divided into generations. They come in both locomotive hauled and self-propelled versions.
Talgo I
Photograph of Talgo I prototype
The Talgo I was built in 1942 in Spain. The coaches were built at the "Hijos de Juan Garay" workshop in Oñati and the power car was built at the workshops of the "Compañía del Norte" in Valladolid.[15] It was built as a prototype, and it was used to set several rail speed records.[5] The first test run occurred between Madrid and Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha in October 1942.[16] It had a max speed of 115km/h (71mph) on uphills and 135km/h (84mph) on flat/downhills.[17] The trainset was destroyed on February 5, 1944 after approximately 3000 km of testing in a fire at its storage location, a warehouse in Cerra Negro.
Talgo II
Talgo II
Talgo II coaches and locomotives were first built in 1950 at the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF) works in the United States under the direction of Spanish engineers (the diesel-electric locomotives were assembled by ACF with electrical components made by General Electric). Talgo II carried most of the Jet Rocket train's passengers between Chicago and Peoria, Illinois, after entering service on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (the Rock Island line) in 1956. Slightly different coaches were later introduced, and the last car type of the Jet Rocket resembled that of the future Talgo III.[18] The New York Central Railroad trialed a complete train until 1958 but saw little success.[19]
Talgo IIs also entered service under Renfe as the Renfe Class 350, where they ran between Madrid and Palencia.[20]
Talgo III coaches and locomotives entered service in 1964, introducing longer cars and easy directional reversibility of the coaches. The Talgo III/RD was equipped with variable gauge axles, and this permitted the introduction, on 1 June 1969, of the first through train between Barcelona and Geneva (the Catalan Talgo), despite the difference in rail gauge.[5][22] The same equipment was used for the Barcelona Talgo, which began operation on 26 May 1974 as the first-ever through train service between Barcelona and Paris.[23]
Talgo Pendular
Talgo Pendular (Talgo VI)Functional principle of "tilting" - green: gravity, red: centrifugal force, blue: resultant force
The Talgo Pendular (Talgo IV and Talgo V, also VI & Talgo 200 or 6th generation), introduced in 1980, created the "natural tilting" train, using a passive system that tilts the carriages with no need for electronic sensors or hydraulic equipment.[4] The wheels are mounted on mono axles between the carriages, and sitting on top of the axles are suspension columns. The carriages are attached to the top of the suspension columns and swing inwards as the train goes through a curve.
In 1988, a Talgo Pendular was used on trials for Amtrak on the Boston-New York corridor in the United States and on Deutsche Bahn lines in Germany.[15] Trial commercial services with Talgo cars in the US commenced in 1994 between Seattle and Portland, and from 1998 different trains have been used on the Amtrak Cascades services from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington, continuing via Portland, Oregon to Eugene, Oregon.[24] Five Talgo IV trains were in use in Argentina on the General Roca Railway. They have since been replaced by CRRC Dalian rolling stock. In September 2022, the Talgo IV sets were transported to the Villa Luro workshop to undergo repairs, aiming to add an extra daily service between Buenos Aires and Rosario.[25] The sets used on the Amtrak Cascades have been replaced by Amtrak-owned Horizon cars.
Talgo 200 series trains are also in use in Kazakhstan for the Almaty–Astana overnight train.[26]
Talgo VII
Talgo VII cars
The Talgo VII introduced beginning in 2000 is used as a locomotive-pulled train set as well as intermediate cars for the multiple unitsTalgo 250, Talgo 350 and Talgo XXI. The carriages are similar to the Talgo Pendular type but have an air-controlled hydraulic brake system and power supply from head end power instead of diesel engine-generators in the end cars. Talgo VII trains have a car which has two pairs of wheels in the middle of the set (of cars) rather than at one end of the set, which is the case for earlier Talgo trains. All the other cars in the set have a single pair of wheels.[27]
Talgo 8
Talgo Series 8
The Series 8 passenger cars are similar to the Series VII cars, but the diesel generator car at one end of the train has a control cabin for push-pull operation and a two-axle end bogie. These trains are designed for the North American market. Talgo made an agreement in 2009 to build a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin which would initially supply two 14-car trainsets for the Amtrak Hiawatha until the project was cancelled. The company expressed hope the plant would later be used to build trains for other U.S. rail projects.[28][29]
Early in 2010, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced that it had negotiated the purchase of two 13-car trainsets for use in the Pacific Northwest rail corridor between Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia.[30] These trainsets were also manufactured in Wisconsin and were delivered in 2013. The sets are currently operating in the "Cascades" corridor in the Pacific Northwest. They have been integrated with the five existing sets in regular service.[31] The Series 8 trains offer passengers many modern amenities including high-speed Wi-Fi, reclining seats and a full-service bistro and lounge car.
This series, which was originally designed for Russia and Kazakhstan, featured wide bodyshells and wheelsets. There are three versions, consisting of either 1520 mm fixed gauge, 1520-1435 mm variable gauge or 1520-1676 mm variable gauge. They are used in the Berlin-Moscow line (December 2016), St. Petersburg-Moscow-Samara (August 2020).
In July 2015, Talgo stated its intention to ship a Series 9 train to India at its own cost as a demonstration on the Mumbai-Delhi rail route.[34][35] On 10 September 2016, the final successful test run of the Talgo 9 series coaches was completed in India.[36]
The Talgo 250 is a dual voltage electric train (AC/DC) equipped with variable gauge axles. This allows the units to be used on high-speed lines and on conventional broad gauge lines. A Talgo 250 train consists of two power cars and 11 Talgo VII intermediate coaches. This class was developed for Renfe (classed as S-130).[37] One trainset (RENFE Class 730) was involved in the Santiago de Compostela accident on 24 July 2013.
Uzbekistan Railways ordered two Talgo 250 sets of a Russian gauge version in 2009. The first set arrived at Tashkent in July 2011.[38]
The Talgo 250 Hybrid is a dual-voltage, dual-power train equipped with variable gauge axles. The train is therefore also able to operate on non-electrified lines. A Talgo 250 Hybrid train consists of two power cars, two technical end coaches and nine Talgo VII intermediate coaches. The trains were developed for Renfe and classed initially as S-130H, later as S-730. They are rebuilt from existing Talgo 250 trains.[39]
Talgo 350 HSR
Talgo 350 train as used for AVE high-speed services between Madrid and Valencia
The Talgo 350 entered service as the Renfe AVE Class 102 marking the company's entry into the high-speed train manufacturing market. Tests with the prototype commenced in 1994,[15] and Talgo 350 trains have been operating at a top commercial speed of 330km/h on the Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valladolid lines since 22 December 2007. This series of trains is designed to reach a speed of 350km/h (220mph), although present lines and commercial services limit the speed to 330km/h (205mph).[40][41] The train consists of two power cars and Talgo VII intermediate cars with improved brakes and additional primary suspension.[27]
Talgo XXI HSR
Renfe class 355 / Talgo XXI / Talgo BT
Talgo XXI is a project for a high-speed diesel-powered train, that operates in push-pull with one or two power cars and Talgo VII intermediate cars. The North American version has four-axle power cars in compliance with United States FRA regulations. Only one train in compliance with European UIC standards has been built to date.[42] Talgo reported that the Talgo XXI attained 256km/h (159mph) on the Olmedo-Medina del Campo high speed experimental line on 9 July 2002,[43] which led to a claim for the world speed record for a diesel train. However, this claim was never proven.[dubious–discuss] After the test runs the train was sold to the Spanish infrastructure authority ADIF as a measuring train for high-speed lines.
Possible specs are:
Two MTU 12V 4000 R64 engines (two power car configuration) or one MTU 12V 4000 R84 engine (one power car configuration), up to 1,800 rpm, high-speed diesel, Euro IIIB compliant with diesel particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation after-treatment system
2 x 1,500kW (2,000hp), (3MW[4,000hp]) or 1,800kW (2,400hp)
Voith hydraulic transmission
Hydrodynamic and air braking
Variable gauge
5 to 12 passenger coaches, depending on the setup
Up to 400 seats
Designed for a top speed of 220km/h (140mph)
Power car with a shared trailer axle
Talgo AVRIL HSR
Talgo AVRIL in the International Exhibition InnoTrans, Germany 2012
Talgo has developed recently a train known as "AVRIL" (Alta Velocidad Rueda Independiente Ligero — Light High-Speed Independent Wheel), intended for speeds of 380 kilometres per hour (240mph).[44] The system uses underfloor traction in the front and rear vehicles, with the intermediate carriages having the Talgo Pendular system (which cannot use motored axles on the axles corresponding to the system). The train also has the option for variable gauge axles. Starting with the concept stage in 2009, it began dynamic testing on the Spanish high-speed network in 2014,[45] and was approved in May 2016. It won its first major contract in November 2016 from Renfe for the Mediterranean corridor in Spain, and its link to Paris.[46] The first AVRIL trains started operations in May 2024 on routes from Madrid to Catalonia, Asturias and Galicia.[47]
In April 2019, Egypt ordered new Talgo trains.[48] Egypt contracted for six trains from Talgo Company, but they became seven trains due to a delay in the delivery date to Egypt. This negates the words of the Minister of Transport who justified that train is a gift from the company for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.[49]
On 9 August 2022, Egypt contracted for seven trains from Talgo, which included 15-year maintenance, for 280 million euros. The trains will be delivered at the beginning of 2024.[50][51]
Variable Gauge Axles (VGA)
In addition to the multiple units with variable gauge, Talgo built in 2005 a prototype of a variable gauge locomotive (the L-9202, TRAV-CA, 130-901 or Virgen del Buen Camino).[52][53]
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest, and standing passengers to lose their balance. In such excessive speeds, it could even cause the train to derail. Tilting trains are designed to counteract this by tilting the carriages towards the inside of the curve, thus compensating for the g-force. The train may be constructed such that inertial forces cause the tilting, or it may have a computer-controlled powered mechanism.
VR-Group Plc, commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. With 7,500 employees and net sales of €1,251 million in 2017, VR is one of the most significant operators in the Finnish public transport market area.
Pendolino is an Italian family of high-speed tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the UK, the US, Switzerland, China, and Greece. It was also used in Russia from December 12, 2010 until March 26, 2022. Based on the design of the Italian ETR 401, it was further developed and manufactured by Fiat Ferroviaria, which was taken over by Alstom in 2000.
A passenger railroad car or passenger car, also called a passenger carriage, passenger coach, or passenger bogie is a railroad car that is designed to carry passengers, usually giving them space to sit on train seats. The term passenger car can also be associated with a sleeping car, a baggage car, a dining car, railway post office and prisoner transport cars.
Variable gauge systems allow railway vehicles to travel between two railways with different track gauges. Vehicles are equipped with variable gauge axles (VGA). The gauge is altered by driving the train through a gauge changer installed at the break of gauge which moves the wheels to the gauge desired.
The Renfe Class 102 or S-102 is a high-speed train used for the AVE service and operated in Spain by the state-run railway company Renfe, and based on Bombardier Transportation's power car technology. Outside AVE service, Talgo markets this train as the Talgo 350.
The Renfe 334 is a high speed, 4 axle diesel-electric locomotive built to haul passenger trains on Renfe's Talgo service on non electrified lines.
The Renfe Series 333 are high power six-axle diesel-electric locomotives built in the 1970s; at the time of their introduction they were the most powerful non-electric locomotives in Spain.
The Renfe Class 353, formerly known as the T-3000 are a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Krauss-Maffei for express trains in Spain.
The Renfe Class 352 was a class of twin engined four axle diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Krauss-Maffei, designed solely for passenger traffic; in particular they were responsible for towing Andalusian Talgo III trains. The class were very successful, heralding a new era of passenger trains in Spain. They were delivered in 1964 and 1965, and were fully withdrawn during the 1990s.
The Renfe Class 354 was a series of eight diesel hydraulic locomotives manufactured by Krauss-Maffei in Germany specifically to pull Talgo pendular coaches which were introduced shortly before the acquisition of these machines.
The Renfe Class 130 or S-130 is a high-speed dual-gauge, dual-voltage trainset consisting of 11 Talgo VII tilting coaches and two power cars, used on Alvia and Euromed services. The class have been nicknamed patitos (ducklings), due to the shape of the train nose.
The Renfe Class 120 are electric multiple units used on Alvia high-speed rail services in Spain.
Talgo Avril is a high-speed train made by Talgo. It stands for "Alta Velocidad Rueda Independiente Ligero".
Oaris is a modular high-speed train platform developed by the Spanish manufacturer CAF.
Trenhotel was a long distance, overnight train service which used Talgo tilting trains and sleeping cars developed by the Spanish rail network operator Renfe. It was operated by Renfe within Spain, and by its subsidiary Elipsos across France, Switzerland and Italy.
Alejandro Goicoechea Omar was a Spanish engineer.
The Catalan Talgo was an international express train that linked Geneva, Switzerland, with Barcelona, Spain from 1969 to 2010. It was named after the Spanish region Catalonia and the Talgo equipment it used. It was an extension and upgrading of a predecessor train, Le Catalan, a first-class-only French (SNCF) Rapide train that had been in operation since 1955 but running only between Geneva and the stations nearest the Spanish-French border, connecting with a second-class-only "autorail" trainset to and from Barcelona. The national railway network of Spain, Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), was using Iberian gauge for all of its main lines, while those of France and Switzerland use standard gauge. As a result of this break-of-gauge, train journeys between Geneva and Barcelona consisted of two separate parts, with travelers having to change from a French to a Spanish train or vice versa at the border—at Portbou on southbound trains and at Cerbère on northbound trains. In 1968, this was resolved with the introduction of the Talgo III RD trainsets, which featured variable gauge wheelsets. At Portbou station, the wheel spacing of each passenger carriage was adjusted by a gauge changer for the difference in gauge, and passengers no longer had to change trains. After successful test runs, the Catalan was extended from Port Bou to Barcelona as a through train on 1 June 1969, becoming the Catalan Talgo and upgraded to a Trans Europ Express (TEE). Most other rail journeys through this border crossing continued to require a change of train at Cerbère station or at Port Bou, as most trains did not use Talgo III RD trainsets.
The Renfe Class 730 or S-730 is a high-speed dual-gauge, dual-voltage and hybrid trainset consisting of 9 Talgo VII tilting coaches, two intermediate diesel-generator cars and two head electric power cars, used on Alvia services. The class have been nicknamed patitos, due to the shape of the train nose. They are a variant of RENFE Class 130 modified to be able to run on both electric and diesel power, in order to extend higher-quality services to parts of Spain not on the electrified network.
An electro-diesel multiple unit (EDMU) or bi-mode multiple unit (BMU) is a form of a multiple unit train that can be powered either by electric power picked up from the overhead lines or third rail or by using an onboard diesel engine, driving an electric generator, which produces alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) electric power.
1 2 Christian Torrego (Translation by P.L. Guillemin (April 2003). "Talgo 7". talgo.ifrance.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
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