Fixed gauge (1,435 mm, 1,520 mm or 1,668 mm) and
variable gauge
Talgo Avril is a
high-speed train made by
Talgo. It stands for "Alta Velocidad Rueda Independiente Ligero" (roughly translated as "Light High-Speed Independent Wheel").[1]
Design
The train is intended to have a top speed of 380 km/h (240 mph).[1] It has front and rear
power cars containing under-floor/over-roof equipment and 8 trailer cars in between the power cars, giving a total seating capacity comparable to those of an
electric multiple unit rather than a
locomotive-hauled train.[1] The trailer cars have an unusually short length of 13 m (42 ft 8 in).[1]
The train is 3.2 metres (10 ft) wide, allowing for a standard 3+2 seating arrangement that gives a passenger capacity of up to 600.
Versions for fixed gauge (1,435 mm, 1,520 mm or 1,668 mm) and
variable gauge are planned.
The traction system is compatible with four voltages—25 kV/50 Hz; 15 kV/16.7 Hz; 3 kV DC; 1.5 kV DC.
History
Talgo presented the Avril concept at the
InnoTrans fair in Berlin in September 2010.[3] After several years of development and testing, the first order for Avril trains was placed in November 2016, when Spanish operator
Renfe Operadora signed a €786.5 million contract for 15 train sets and 30 years of maintenance.[4] In May 2017, Renfe Operadora ordered 15 more train sets, with the Avril's entry into service expected in 2020,[5] delayed to March 2024.[6]
In 2023, French operator
Le Train signed a €300 million contract for 10 train sets and 30 years of maintenance.[7]
A Talgo Avril train reached 360 km/h top-speed on the Ourense-Santiago de Compostela high-speed line on Iberian gauge as part of homologation testing. [10]