Talgo 350 Spain

Talgo 350 is a very high speed train developed by Patentes Talgo , a Spanish company. It is manufactured by the consortium of Patentes Talgo and Bombardier Transportation.The train entered service with the name RENFE AVE Class 102 high speed trains, on the MadridBarcelona and Madrid Valladolid lines in Spain. It is also known as Pato (which means duck in Spanish) as the trains front part resembles the beak of a duck.The development of Talgo 350 was initiated for the MadridBarcelona highspeed railway line. The prototype development was commenced in 1997. Trial runs of the fully constructed prototype were commenced in 2002.The train achieved a top speed of 365kmph during the trial run. All tests were completed successfully and the train was launched on the MadridZaragozaLleida section of the MadridBarcelona line in February 2005.The maximum speed of the train was initially restricted to 200kmph due to the absence of infrastructure necessary for operation of a train with such high speeds.The top speed of operation was increased to 300kmph with the installation of an ECTS Level 1 system on the lines. The infrastructure on the lines was further upgraded to ECTS Level 2 system, enabling the maximum operational speed to be increased to 330kmph.The T350 train set is designed to be optimally aerodynamic to handle air pressure and air currents at high speeds. It has a high level of redundancy in traction between rail and auxiliary systems. The car body is light in weight, airtight and pressurised so as to comfortably pass through tunnels and crossings.Antioverturning and antivertical hunting technologies are used for coupling the cars.
The centre of gravity is made very low, ensuring consistency for passengers travelling. Independent axles and primary suspensions are provided to rolling assemblies between the cars. The rolling assembly axles are fixed in such a way that they hold the wheels parallel to the track even in curved stretches.The train is designed for 25kV, 50Hz, 4,000kW power lines and standard gauge tracks. The wheel base of the vehicle is 2.65m and its maximum width is 2.96m. The height of the vehicle is fixed at four metres. It has two independent power bogies on either side. Anti lock brake systems are pre installed in the system with four discs per shaft.The maximum commercial speed of the train is fixed to 330kmph with maximum acceleration of 1.2m/s2 in curves. The maximum train length is limited to 200m with 12 passenger cars.The cars are equipped with Talgo Pendular type suspension. The train is provided with natural tilting system. The platform height is fixed very close to the floor for easy access for disabled passengers and children. There is a passageway of 815mm between two consecutive rail cars. An onboard computerised control system is provided in the train for safety and control.Bombardier Transportation supplied 60 rail locomotives for the Talgo 350 trains on the MadridBarcelona line. Timken Company was subcontracted by Bombardier Transportation to supply 480 high tech axle bearing assemblies.The light clusters for the vehicle were supplied by Siemens. ENOTRAC was contracted for conducting a study for management of the trains safety.