Product family

Talgo Pendular stock first entered into service in 1980. It consists of three main classes:Third-generation Talgo stock encompasses three main classes:

Talgo Pendular 400

This rolling-stock was introduced as from 1980 on the most prestigious Spanish daytime trains, and then on sleepers from 1983. In comparison with 3rd-generation stock, this class marked appreciable improvements:

• New pneumatic and tilting suspensions, with smoother ride and more stability, especially in curves
• Re-designed steering-mechanism, which enabled ·standard couplers and buffers on end-cars, thus enabling the haulage by whatever conventional class of locomotives, as neither automatic couplers nor pre-constrained buffers were required any more
• More up-to-date outer aspect
• Lighter carbodies allowing larger cars (13.140m-43ft1in instead of 11.110m-36ft5in), with increased seating-capacity
• Gangways at both set-ends, with retractable diaphragms, which therefore allowed the crew and the passengers to move from one set to another, whenever sets are coupled
• More comfortable interiors:
  • 2+1 seating in Club-class, a feature that had previously been confined to
    Talgo IIIRD stock running on the international flagship service "Catalan-Talgo"
  • Increased pitch in Coach-class, identical to that of First-class (980mm-3ft8in)
  • All seats reclining

Talgo Pendular 500

This class was introduced in 1981 with a view to providing a fast and comfortable sleeper service between Paris and Madrid ("Paris-Madrid Talgo"), similar to the "Barcelona-Talgo" that had been connecting Paris with Barcelona since 1974 (and then fitted with Talgo IIIRD cars).

From a technical point of view, Talgo Pendular 500 cars resume all Talgo Pendular 400 features, supplemented with variable-gauge wheelsets so as to run in France.

Talgo Pendular 500 were designed for sleeper service. Their interiors look almost identical to those of Talgo IIIRD 300 (with the same layout than Talgo Pendular 400 sleeping-cars), and they originally encompassed no Seated-accommodation cars. Since then however, two original Sleeping-cars have been converted into Seated-accommodation cars, and presently have interiors similar to those of Daytime Talgo Pendular 600 cars.

Talgo Pendular 600

Talgo 600 cars were primarily designed in the late-80s so as to launch new sleepers between Barcelona and Zurich/Milan ("Pau Casals"/"Salvador Dali") as well as to upgrade existing International Daytime and Sleeper services between Spain and the rest of Europe. The construction of a Standard-gauge High-speed Line between Madrid and Seville then led to the introduction of such stock on domestic services, whether daytime or sleeper.

Talgo Pendular 600 stock benefits from further improvements compared with Class 400-500 cars.

• Improved pneumatic suspension
• Double-flooring on the most recently built cars, with fewer vibrations
• More powerful brake, so as to meet the French requirements for 200kph/125mph-running
• Automatic sliding-doors on Daytime cars
• Air-tight restrooms and bathrooms
• More up-to-date interiors:
  • New, deeper seats in daytime cars
  • Straight cabins in all Sleeping-cars

Mixing of cars and coupling of sets

Cars of these three classes can be mixed together within the same trainset. Similarly, Trainsets composed with whatever Talgo Pendular Stock can be coupled with whatever loco-hauled Talgo set.

• Pneumatic suspensions with a smoother ride, a feature of prime importance when travelling at night
• Four-berth cabins, besides traditional single/double cabins. Such accommodation had never been offered in Western Europe before (while it had conversely been available for a very long time on Soviet trains). This was meant to provide cheaper sleeping-car accommodation, as Talgo sleepers offered neither Slumbercoach nor seated-accommodation at that time.

Non-Spanish developments

Apart than RENFE, the German Federal Railroad company (DB, "Die Bahn") and Amtrak own and operate Talgo Pendular stock:

• DB Nachtzug
• Amtrak Cascades
• Amtrak Las Vegas Talgo (on May, 19th, 2003, no date was still available for the launch of this service ; the trainset built for it is currently in service on the Cascades corridor)

In addition, the Kazakh National Railroad company (KTZ, "Kazkstan Temir Zholy") currently (May, 19th, 2003) operates a Talgo 6 set leased from RENFE and has invested in brand-new Talgo 6 sleeping cars, the first of which are due for delivery in late 2003.