Hitachi and Siemens Sole Bidders for Renfe 30-40 High-Speed Trainset Tender

Spain's national operator Renfe has received bids from only two suppliers — Hitachi Rail and Siemens Mobility — for a contract covering 30 to 40 high-speed trainsets rated at 350 km/h.

The tender's narrowed field follows the disqualification of domestic manufacturer Talgo, which submitted its proposal after the deadline. The exclusion leaves Renfe choosing between two foreign platforms for one of Europe's largest pending rolling-stock procurements. Hitachi is offering its ETR1000 platform, manufactured at its Napoli and Pistoia plants in Italy. Siemens has proposed the Velaro Novo, its latest high-speed variant. The procurement will determine which platform joins Renfe's existing AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) fleet on the network's 350 km/h-rated corridors.

Renfe structured the tender as a firm order for 30 trainsets with an option for 10 additional units, bringing the maximum total to 40. According to industry sources, the contract value totals approximately €1.36bn for the base order, rising to €1.78bn if Renfe exercises the full option quantity. Both bidders must meet the 350 km/h operating requirement, which is standard for Spain's high-speed lines including Madrid–Barcelona and Madrid–Seville. Hitachi's ETR1000 — also known as Frecciarossa 1000 in service with Italy's Trenitalia — has proven capability at that speed, while Siemens' Velaro family operates across multiple European networks including Deutsche Bahn's ICE 3 and SNCF's TGV.

Talgo's exclusion removes the Spanish incumbent from a contract it was expected to contest. The manufacturer has historically supplied Renfe's Talgo 350 (S-102) and Avril (S-106) high-speed fleets, but procedural compliance ended its participation in this round. The late submission marks a setback for Talgo, which has supplied high-speed rolling stock to Renfe for decades. Hitachi's ETR1000 bid leverages its Italian production base at Napoli and Pistoia, facilities that have manufactured the platform for Trenitalia and other European operators. Siemens would likely draw on its established Velaro production network for final assembly.

The procurement follows Renfe's strategy to expand high-speed capacity on its AVE network, which carries millions of passengers annually on corridors linking Madrid with Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and other major cities. Neither Hitachi nor Siemens has disclosed whether local assembly or technology transfer formed part of their proposals. The contract award timeline has not been disclosed, though industry observers expect Renfe to announce a decision within the coming months given the scale of the order and the procurement's advanced stage.