Renfe moves ahead with high-speed train contract excluding Talgo

Renfe is preparing to sign one of its largest high-speed train procurements, a contract estimated at more than a billion euros for an initial batch of 30 units, expandable to ten more. Only two foreign manufacturers, Siemens with its Velaro Novo platform and Hitachi with the ETR1000, are competing, while Spanish builder Talgo, recently recapitalised by SEPI, is absent. The award is expected to be discussed by Renfe's board on 27 October.

The tender has been criticised by the PP and other parties for technical specifications, such as a 350 km/h speed requirement and tight delivery schedules, which they say have limited Spanish participation. Renfe says technical performance accounts for 70 % of the evaluation, leaving little room for domestic firms. The contract comes as Talgo struggles with a financial restructuring despite state backing aimed at preserving its industrial capacity.