The Spanish Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, and the President of Renfe, Raül Blanco, visit Alstom's industrial centre in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda

26 April 2024 - The Spanish Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Oscar Puente, and the President of Renfe, Raül Blanco, visited Alstom's industrial site in Catalonia, where the 201 new high-capacity commuter trains for Renfe are being manufactured. During their visit, they were able to learn about the innovative manufacturing process developed at the Catalan facilities for this contract. They were also able to see the first coupled unit of the new trains, which is currently undergoing static testing.

Leopoldo Maestu, Managing Director of Alstom in Spain, who accompanied the Minister and the President of Renfe on the visit, pointed out that this contract, the largest in Alstom's history in Spain, has enabled the company to double capacity and employment at the industrial centre, which already employs more than 1,100 people and is one of the Group's largest in Europe.

"This project not only guarantees our workload for the coming years, but also includes an ambitious growth and investment plan. It has allowed us to develop a plan for growth and industrial transformation in Santa Perpètua based on three pillars: people, industrial capital and digitalisation and sustainability," says Leopoldo Maestu.

In this sense, Alstom has recruited more than 500 new professionals in Catalonia over the last two years. The site will reach its historic peak of activity in the financial year 2025-2026, when the production of the new high-capacity trains for Renfe will be at full capacity.

The Renfe contract also means an increase in indirect employment in Catalonia, as Alstom has more than 230 local suppliers and, in the last year, made purchases from Catalan suppliers for an amount of more than 212 million euros.

201 state-of-the-art commuter trains

The new trains, with 6 cars each (4 single-deck cars and 2 double-deck cars), will have capacity for more than 900 passengers. The 12 doors on each side, evenly distributed along the train, improve station dwell time by speeding up passenger flow and the transport capacity of suburban networks. In addition, the future trains, fully accessible for people with reduced mobility, will have spaces for PRM chairs, and multifunctional spaces for bicycles, suitcases, baby prams and more.

Technically, the new vehicles will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to improve reliability and punctuality. In addition, technology implemented will allow for thousands of data per second to be collected from the entire fleet. This real-time information ensures more efficient operational decision-making, which will result in a better service for commuters.

The first three units that are currently being manufactured will begin to circulate in tests in the coming months, thus initiating the process of validation and certification of the new rolling stock. Once this is over, series production of the remaining 198 units will begin, with the aim of delivering between 3 and 4 trains to Renfe each month.