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Map of the Spanish rail network as it was in 2005, with colour-coded track types

A new Cercanías Civia unit near Puerto Real (Cádiz)

AVE Class 100 train at Cordoba station

Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias). The name is derived from that of the former Spanish National Railway Network, RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) which had been created on 24 January 1941 when Spain's railways were nationalized. As per EU Directive 91/440, RENFE was divided into Renfe Operadora (operations) and ADIF (infrastructure) on 1 January 2005. At the same time, the existing RENFE two arrows logo from 1971 has been replaced by a dark purple lower-case wordmark designed by Interbrand, and also replaces some of the separate logos used by the other sectors, although the old RENFE logo remains in use in some stations in Spain and on maps to indicate a RENFE station. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cercanías are commuter train networks that cover major metropolitan areas in Spain. ... Location of Puerto Real Municipality Cádiz Mayor José Antonio Barroso Toledo Area    - City 197 km²  - Land 197 km²  - Water 0. ... Location Location of Cádiz Coordinates : Time Zone : General information Native name Cádiz (Spanish) Spanish name Cádiz Postal code – Website http://www. ... For other uses, see AVE (disambiguation). ... Public ownership (also called government ownership or state ownership) is government ownership of any asset, industry, or corporation at any level, national, regional or local (municipal). ... For other uses, see Train (disambiguation). ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act by which a nation takes possession of assets without requiring the owners consent, with or without payment of compensation. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ...

The company operates some 15,000 km of railways, most of which are constructed to the broad "Iberian" gauge of 1668 mm, the same as that used in Portugal but wider than the gauge of 1435 mm which is standard in France and most of western and central Europe. The newer high-speed (AVE} network, however, has been built to the international standard gauge of 1435 mm gauge in anticipation of its eventual connection to the rest of the European railway system. For this reason, the 1435-mm gauge is generally termed "European gauge" in Spain. For other uses, see Gauge. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... French-designed Eurostar and Thalys TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. ... For other uses, see AVE (disambiguation). ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

In addition to intercity transport, Renfe operates commuter train systems, known as Cercanías (or the equivalent local name), in eleven metropolitan areas, including Madrid and Barcelona. The former was targeted in the March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombings. While the later and some of the regional trains going to Barcelona have been without service since 20th October 2007. In some cities Renfe shares the market with other commuter railway operators. A Romanian InterCity train, run by Romanian Railways, at Arad station in May 2003 InterCity is a name for the inter-city rail services in Europe. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... Cercanías are commuter train networks that cover major metropolitan areas in Spain. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... The 2004 Madrid train bombings (also known as 11-M, 3/11, 11/3 and M-11) were a series of coordinated bombings against the commuter train system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004, which killed 191 people and wounded over 1700. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ...

Construction of the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Seville began in 1988 and operation commenced in 1991. The second high-speed rail line, from Madrid to Barcelona, was completed in 2007 with the inaugural service commencing at 6 am February 20, 2008. The greater part of the line, from Madrid to Lleida, was put in service on October 11, 2003, with connection to Huesca from Zaragoza. The last high-speed line opened is Madrid - Toledo, in November 2005, followed by the spur from Córdoba to Málaga as far as Antequera in 2007. Another high-speed route from Madrid to Valladolid was opened in 2007, and other lines to Valencia and Lisbon are being designed. The route Madrid-Galicia is under construction between the major Galician cities. French-designed Eurostar and Thalys TGVs side-by-side in the Paris-Gare du Nord. ... For other uses, see Seville (disambiguation). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Lleida (Catalan) Spanish name Lérida Founded 6th century BC Postal code 25XXX Website http://www. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for October, 2003. ... Huesca (Aragonese Uesca, Catalan Osca) is a city in Aragon, Spain. ... For other uses, see Zaragoza (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation). ... Ongoing events • Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal • Al Jazeera bombing memo • Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak • Black sites scandal • Conservative leadership race (UK) • Fuel prices • Irans nuclear program • Jilin chemical plant explosions • Kashmir earthquake • Malawi food crisis • Malaysian prisoner abuse scandal • New Delhi bombings investigation • Niger food crisis • North Indian cyclone... Location Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... Location of Málaga Municipality Málaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre Prados Area    - City 385,50 km²  - Land 385,50 km²  - Water 0. ... Antequera view Antequera (coordinates: ) is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia (Sp: Andalucía). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For the city in Mexico, see Valladolid, Yucatán. ... Location Coordinates : 39°29′ N 0°22′ W Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name València (Catalan) Spanish name Valencia Founded 137 BC Postal code 46000-46080 Website http://www. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

The Spanish high-speed system is called AVE. (Alta Velocidad Española, Spanish High Speed). The logo incorporates a feature which resembles a bird (ave in Spanish). For other uses, see AVE (disambiguation). ...

The high-speed lines are built to the standard European gauge (1435 mm). Speed on the Seville line is 300 km/h. The line to Lleida is slower at present, though there are plans for eventual operation at 350 km/h on this route. As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

Other lines operated by Renfe include Alaris, a moderate-speed line between Madrid and Valencia. Alaris are commuter train networks that cover Madrid-Valencia and Valencia-Madrid. ...

Reorganisation

The Railway Sector Act of 2003 separated the management, maintenance and construction of rail infrastructure from train operation. The first activity is now the responsibility of a new public company, Administrador de Infrestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), while Renfe (full name: Renfe Operadora) owns the rolling-stock and remains responsible for the planning, marketing and operation of passenger and freight services (though no longer with a legal monopoly).

Renfe Operadora inherited the management model of the business units of the old RENFE, which made Renfe Operadora responsible for the operation of the following passenger and freight services. In January 2006, Renfe Operadora restructured the main business units into four:

• Dirección General de Servicios Públicos de Cercanías y Media Distancia: responsible for high-speed rail services (AVE) and medium-range regional services (Regionales and Media Distancia).
• Dirección General de Servicios de Larga Distancia: responsible for long-distance intercity services (except AVE and Media Distancia, which is managed by the above business unit.
• Dirección General de Servicios de Mercancías y Logística: responsible for freight services.
• Dirección General de Fabricación y Mantenimiento: responsible for rolling stock maintenance and manufacture (also known as Integria)

Renfe Cercanías is going to be transferred to the Autonomous Communities. For other uses, see AVE (disambiguation). ... Cercanías are commuter train networks that cover major metropolitan areas in Spain. ... Spains fifty provinces (provincias) are grouped into seventeen autonomous communities (comunidades aut nomas), in addition to two African autonomous cities (ciudades aut nomas) (Ceuta and Melilla). ...

Ticketing procedures

The Grandes Líneas (inter-city) division of Renfe operates a rather peculiar ticketing system when compared to industry norms. Any reservation by telephone or internet is allocated a "localizador" or booking reference. This is a code that simply acts as a reference to your booking and does not substitute a normal paper ticket. The current practice is that you will be allowed to board an inter-city train with your "localizador", however, if you miss your train, your entire booking is invalidated including your return ticket. Numerous unsuspecting passengers have had the unpleasant experience of being forced to purchase an additional ticket (often only expensive 1st class remains available) for the return journey, having missed their outbound train.^[1] Many passengers reasonably assume that the booking reference is confirmation of your seat, however, this appears not to be the case.

Renfe will turn away passengers who do not have sufficient funds to purchase a new (usually 1st class) ticket for their return journey, despite having paid in full and arrived at the station on time for their return trip. This practice is allegedly illegal because contract law asserts that the customer (passenger) enters into an agreement with the company (Renfe) to fulfill the entire service offered once they have made their purchase (whether it be by internet or over the phone). Passengers, in particular those operating on a tight budget (students, etc), should be aware of this practice and ensure that they arrive at the station with enough time to have their paper tickets issued.

Passenger rolling stock

Renfe Operadora counts on the following rolling stock and commercial products inside of its two divisions that contain services of travellers:

D.G.S.P. Cercanías y Media Distancia

Cercanías:

• RENFE Class 440 EMU
• RENFE Class 442 EMU
• RENFE Class 446 EMU
• RENFE Class 447 EMU
• RENFE Class 450 EMU
• RENFE Class 451 EMU
• Civia (RENFE Class 462, 463, 464 and 465) EMU
• RENFE Class 592 DMU

Media Distancia:

• RENFE Class 432 EMU
• RENFE Class 440 EMU
• RENFE Class 470 EMU
• RENFE Class 444 EMU
• RENFE Class 448 EMU
• RENFE Class 592 DMU
• RENFE Class 593 DMU
• RENFE Class 594 DMU
• RENFE Class 596 DMU
• RENFE Class 598 DMU
• RENFE Class 104 EMU
• RENFE Class 130 EMU

D.G.S.P. Larga Distancia

Tilting Amtrak Cascades passenger cars use the Talgo design. ... For other uses, see AVE (disambiguation). ... The Barcelona Conference or Common Strategy on the Mediterranean Region occurred on November 27-November 28, 1995. ... Alaris are commuter train networks that cover Madrid-Valencia and Valencia-Madrid. ...

See also

• Transportation in Spain
• FEVE
• History of rail transport in Spain

Railways total: 15,988 km (most railways in Spain are operated by RENFE, narrow-gauge lines (like in India) are operated by FEVE and other carriers in individual autonomous communitites) broad gauge (1668 mm): 12,781 km (6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km double track) standard gauge (1435 mm... FEVE logo Electric unit 3500, operated by FEVE, arriving to the Muros de Nalón station, on the way to Oviedo FEVE (Ferrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha, meaning Narrow-Gauge Spanish Railways) is a state-owned Spanish railway company, which operates most of Spains 1,250 km... During the 19th century Spain was one of the poorest and least economically developed countries in Western Europe, and was also politically unstable. ...

References

1. ^ RENFE's "concept" train ticket, Gary, 2007-08-06, <http://spainbible.blogspot.com/2007/08/renfes-concept-train-ticket.html>. Retrieved on 10 August 2007 

External links

• RENFE's official website