Renfe
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| Company type | Incorporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessors | Private owned rail companies |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Teófilo Serrano Beltrán, Enrique Urkijo Goitia, Manuel Acero Valbuena, José Luis Marroquín |
| Products | Rail transport, Cargo |
| Revenue |  € 1.108 billion (2011)[1] |
| € -19.7 million (2011)[2] | |
| Owner | Government of Spain (100%) |
Number of employees | 14,338 (2007)[3] |
| Subsidiaries | Renfe Mercancías |
| Website | www.renfe.es |
| |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Spain |
| Dates of operation | January 24, 1941–2005 |
Renfe Operadora (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈremfe opeɾaˈðoɾa]) is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias).
History
The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National Railway Network, RENFE (acronym of Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) created on 24 January 1941 with the nationalization 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", Spanish 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introduced in 1971 and facelifted in 1983, with a sans-serif font and again in 2000, with a mixed case italic font, has been replaced by a dark purple lower-case wordmark designed by Interbrand, and also replaces some of the separate logos used by the other sectors, although the old RENFE logo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 ICT (information and communication technology) systems through an ICT renewal project scheduled for completion at the end of 2010 under the responsibility of Corporate Director of Information Systems Oscar Gomez Barbero. So far, the company has introduced improvements to their internet ticket sales and adopted new ICT 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, 7,000 km of them electrified. Most of which are constructed to the broad "Iberian" gauge of 1668 mm, the same as that used in Portugal but wider than the gauge of 1435 mm which is standard in France and most of western and central Europe. The newer high-speed (AVE) network, however, has been built to the international standard gauge of 1435 mm 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 AVE. (Alta Velocidad 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 gauge (1435 mm).
Construction of the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Seville began in 1988 and operation commenced in 1991. Train speed on the Seville line is 300 km/h. The second high-speed rail line (Madrid to Barcelona) 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 (Madrid to Lleida) was placed into service on 11 October 2003, with connection to Huesca from Zaragoza. The third high-speed line (Madrid to Toledo) was opened in November 2005, followed by the spur from Córdoba to Málaga as far as Antequera in 2007. Another high-speed route from Madrid to Valladolid was opened in 2007, the line from Madrid to Valencia was opened in 2010 and the first stage of the high-speed line in Galicia opened in 2011. A line to Lisbon is being designed.
Other lines operated by RENFE include Euromed, a moderate-speed line between Barcelona and Valencia.
In addition to intercity transport, RENFE operates commuter train systems, known as Cercanías (or Rodalies in Catalonia and Cercanías-Aldirikoak in the Basque Country), in eleven metropolitan areas, including Madrid and Barcelona. The former was targeted in the 11 March 2004, Madrid train bombings. While the latter and some of the regional trains going to Barcelona have been without service since 20 October 2007. In some cities, RENFE shares the market with other commuter railway operators, such as FGC in Barcelona.
Passenger rolling stock
Renfe Operadora utilises the following rolling stock and commercial products inside of its two divisions:
D.G.S.P. Cercanías y Media Distancia
Cercanías:
| Rolling stock | City | Image |
|---|---|---|
| RENFE Class 442 | Madrid LINEA C-9 | 
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| RENFE Class 446 | Bilbao Madrid Málaga San Sebastián Santander |
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| RENFE Class 447 | Barcelona Madrid Valencia |
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| RENFE Class 450/451 | Barcelona Madrid |
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| Civia | Asturias Barcelona Cádiz Madrid Málaga Santander Sevilla Valencia Zaragoza |
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| RENFE Class 592 | Valencia Murcia Alicante |
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Media Distancia:
| Rolling stock | route | Image |
|---|---|---|
| RENFE Class 448 EMU | Cataluña | 
|
| RENFE Class 592 DMU (to be phased out) | ? | 
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| RENFE Class 594 DMU | Valladolid <> Zamora <> Puebla de Sanabria Coruña <> Ferrol Coruña <> Lugo <> Monforte de Lemos Madrid <> Soria |
|
| RENFE Class 440/470 EMU (to be phased out) | Córdoba <> Rabanales León <> Ponferrada <> Vigo(With 449) León <> Gijón |
|
| RENFE Class 596 DMU | Lérida <> Puebla de Segur Murcia <> Cartagena Orense <> Monforte de Lemos Zaragoza <> Canfranc |
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| RENFE Class 598 DMU | Madrid <> Badajoz Huelva <> Zafra Sevilla <> Mérida |
|
| RENFE Class 599 DMU | A Coruña <> Vigo Salamanca <> Ávila <> Madrid Zaragoza <> Salamanca Salamanca <> Palencia Valencia <> Cartagena Huesca <> Valencia Sevilla <> Málaga Sevilla <> Almería Granada <> Algeciras Málaga <> Ronda Granada<>Linares |
|
| RENFE Class 449 EMU | Madrid <> Jaén León <> Ponferrada <> Orense <> Vigo Sevilla <> Cádiz Barcelona <> Girona <> Figueres Huelva <> Sevilla Jaén <> Córdoba <> Sevilla <> Cadiz Albacete <> Alcazar de San juan <> Madrid Alicante <> Albacete <> Ciudad Real Ciudad Real <> Alcazar de San juan <> Madrid León <> Madrid Madrid <> Vitoria Vitoria <> Irun Cordoba <> Bobadilla |
|
| RENFE Class 104 (High speed midway) | Madrid <> Toledo Madrid <> Ciudad Real Sevilla <> Córdoba Barcelona <> Camp De Tarragona Zaragoza <> Calatayud |
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| RENFE Class 121 (High speed midway) | Cádiz<>Jaén La Coruña<>Santiago de Compostela |
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| RENFE Class 114 (High speed midway) | Madrid <> Segovia-Guiomar | 
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D.G.S.P. Larga Distancia
| Service | Rolling stock | Route(s) | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional RENFE traditional services, with conventional rolling stock | |||
| Diurno | Locomotive + Passenger cars | Basque Country <> Galicia / Salamanca | 
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| Estrella | Locomotive + sleeper cars | Atlántico Costa Brava Galicia Pío Baroja Picasso Sudexpress/Surex |
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| With the disappearance of steam and the generalization of electric trains and diesel, some have improved their rolling stock whilst others retain the original rolling stock for the service. | |||
| Alaris | RENFE Class 490 | Madrid <> Valencia Madrid <> Castellón Madrid <> Gandía Madrid <> Oropesa de Mar Barcelona <> Valencia Barcelona <> Alicante |
|
| Altaria | Locomotive + Talgo cars IV/VI/VII | Madrid <> Algeciras Madrid <> Granada Madrid <> Cartagena Madrid <> Murcia |
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| Alvia | RENFE Class 120 | Madrid <> Pamplona Madrid <> Logroño Madrid <> Hendaya Madrid <> Irún Barcelona <> Vigo |
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| RENFE Class 130 | Madrid <> Gijon Madrid <> Santander Madrid <> Bilbao Madrid <> Hendaya Alicante <> Gijon Alicante <> Santander Madrid <> Alicante |
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| RENFE Class 730 | Madrid <> Galicia (2012) Madrid <> Cartagena (2012) Madrid <> Murcia (2012) |
| |
| Arco | Locomotive + conventional passenger cars refitted for 200 km/h operation | García Lorca Barcelona <> Extremadura/Andalucía | 
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| AVE | RENFE Class 100 | Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Sevilla-Santa Justa |
|
| RENFE Class 102 | Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Huesca Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Zaragoza-Delicias] Estación de Madrid-Chamartín <> Valladolid-Campo Grande Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Málaga-Mª Zambrano |
| |
| RENFE Class 103 | Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Barcelona-Sants Barcelona-Sants <> Málaga-Mª Zambrano Barcelona-Sants <> Zaragoza-Delicias Barcelona-Sants <> Sevilla-Santa Justa |
| |
| RENFE Class 112 | Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Cuenca <> Valencia Madrid-Puerta de Atocha <> Cuenca <> Albacete |
| |
| Euromed | RENFE Class 130 | Barcelona <> Valencia <> Alicante | 
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| Intercity | RENFE Class 448 | Madrid-Chamartín <> Hendaya | 
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| Talgo | Locomotive + Talgo cars IV/VI/VII | Catalán Talgo Barcelona <> Montpellier Covadonga/Finisterre Barcelona <> Galicia/Gijón Mare Nostrum Cartagena <> Montpellier Miguel de Unamuno Barcelona <> País Vasco/Salamanca Barcelona <> Lorca Barcelona <> Murcia Madrid <> Galicia Alicante <> Galicia Madrid <> Almería Madrid <> Badajoz Madrid <> Bilbao |
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| Trenhotel | Locomotive + Talgo cars and sleeper cars | Antonio Machado Francisco de Goya Gibralfaro Joan Miró Pau Casals Rías Gallegas Salvador Dalí |
|
Meaning of first number of class
All classes are designed by three numbers. The first number has a special meaning:
- 1xx: High speed multiple unit
- 2xx: Electric locomotive
- 3xx: Diesel locomotive
- 4xx: Electric multiple unit (EMU)
- 5xx: Diesel multiple unit (DMU)
- 6xx: Hybrid locomotive
- 7xx: Hybrid multiple unit (HMU)
- 8xx: Street trams which can run on railways.
See also
References
- RENFE Corporate Director of Information Systems Oscar Gomez Barbero speaks of Renfe´s Transformation at ESADE Business School in Madrid.
- Federación Castellano Manchega de Amigos del Ferrocarril
External links
