Renfe awards Siemens with contract for 30 Velaro Novo high-speed trains

The seven-car trainsets will be designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h and accommodate 520 passengers each. The configuration includes 404 standard-class seats in a 2+2 arrangement and 116 first-class seats in a 2+1 arrangement. All seats will be reversible, allowing passengers to face the direction of travel. Siemens must deliver the first five trains within 40 months, with the entire 30-unit order completed within 62 months. Delivery performance was a major consideration in the tender following delays affecting Renfe's previous rolling stock orders. The Velaro Novo is an evolution of Siemens' Velaro platform, already represented in Renfe's fleet by the Class 103 high-speed trains. The new design uses lighter construction, improved aerodynamics and more compact technical equipment to increase passenger capacity and reduce energy consumption. The trains will provide larger multifunctional areas for luggage, bicycles and passengers with reduced mobility. Redesigned bogies are intended to reduce vibration and noise, while aerodynamic modifications will limit pressure waves when passing through tunnels. For maintenance, the Velaro Novo incorporates remote diagnostics, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance systems. Siemens also proposes a battery-powered Last Mile function that would allow trains to move independently in certain disruption scenarios without immediately requiring a rescue locomotive. Renfe launched the procurement in March 2026 to renew and expand its high-speed fleet as competition continues in Spain's liberalised passenger market. The new trains will provide a combined seating capacity of 15,600 passengers across the initial 30-unit order.