Spain’s FASTEST Bullet Train has THIS crazy feature! 

It's a thing many got wrong about Talgo. It doesn't have single axle per carriage. It actually has NO axle at all! There are two independent wheels per carriage, not connected and running separately from one another. I don't find it bizarre, I rather find it a genius design, one of the most genial things in the history of railways.

Spain's high speed trains are magnificent

I lived in Spain for 10 years and often rode on the 'Renfe Train' as I used to call them. I loved it. The cost of a ticket was significantly cheaper than here in the UK. Great video. God I wish I was still living there!!!!

Talgo's pendulum system and its rolling system is genius from an engineering point of view. It is internationally recognized as one of the best solutions. The result is obvious on a platform. The composition of cars and locomotive is tremendously elegant. If you know what you see, and what is between those cars, you appreciate x100 that work of art on rails.

No, no, no!! Talgo trains don't have axles connecting the two wheels on each side. Each of the two corresponding wheels is individually fixed to a column and the carriage hangs on the top of the column and can therefore tilt naturally. It's an enormously clever system and well worth reading up on. Great video!

If you look at what Santa Justa station used to look like before it was rebuilt with the arrival of the high speed line, it had much more character. Love Spain's gauge changing technology.

As a spaniard, I might not agree with some of your remarks (especially about the appearance of the train) but I appreciate the effort you made to pronounce Spanish names almost perfectly! ¡Buen trabajo!

I think the main reason for the single axiles instead of boogie is because the Talgo 350 is low floor and wheels in general take quite a bit of space. By having only two pairs of wheels per car instead of two quartets, the space you have to "sacrifice" is reduced and having them placed in gangways, which already don't have much useful space, leaves more useful space for passengers. The low floor trams in Vienna follow a similar principle, though in the way to lower the floor even further than it is normally possible with a boogie design. The downside is that (flexible) boogies allows trains to take sharper curves for the same length of a car, hence the generally shorter cars and one of the reasons why Pacers, which seem to have a normal car length, are so horrible at taking curves. In addition, an issue which inherintly applies to all low-floor trains unless the floor on the boogies is raised, the gangways are pretty narrow because of the wheels and for all low-floor trains, you can't place doors nor design the interior however you want (one of the best examples are the DB Bauriehe 423, 424 and 425 trains used on some S-Bahn systems which are almost identical in appearance but the former is high floor and has got three pairs of doors per car while the latter are low floor and only feature two pairs of doors). That the doors still are placed next on the gangways on the Talgo 350 is only possible because of the single axile design. Furthermore, the motors still have to exist somewhere and by lowering the floor, you either have to use a locomotive or smaller engines. It's this reason why bilevel EMUs such as the KISS and TWINDEXX are a relatively recent development and high-speed EMUs don't really work with a low floor design either, they can only work when there are dedicated engine cars (i.e. power cars or locomotives) and the Talgo 350 is no exception. The complains that the ICE 4, which is build relatively recently, isn't a low-floor EMU is another example where accessibility succumbs to engineering and physics.

Quack quack 🦆

This model is a Renfe 102 Class, named "Pato" (Duck), but there is another model named "Patito" (Duckling), the 130 class. They are literally the mother and the baby

I am from Sapin and when you mencioned that 7 AM is not exactly early, take note that the normal starting time for a job in spain is 9AM. Those stores probably open at 9AM that is very normal in Spain.

Oh that’d fitting! Just 2 weeks ago I rode on a S-103 Velaro from Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha in premium class. It was absolutely great! Quick, on time and comfortable! Greetings from Austria, the home of the Railjet!

I live in Spain and I can tell you that you discover a track section every single day and also that there are always new systems!

I was puzzled first when you mentioned Talgo 350 but when I saw the unique beak-like front I knew you were referring to these trainsets (series 102 or 112 would actually be the proper denomination in RENFE). I first didn't like the design too, but finally I believe you end up liking them due to the unorthodox style. Keep up the great job!

7:00 a.m. in Spain is early. In Madrid it is not as early as in Seville, because of the journeys workers have to do in a much bigger city everyday... But that is the time many people wake up to go to work. Spain's time is one hour over the time Spain should have (2 during summer).

Yes. Spain, finally! It's about time Spain's network got some attention. I don't understand why it's the 2nd biggest high speed network in the world and hardly anyone talks about it. I'd love to see you cover more of the network and more types of stock, especially the gauge changing ones, which are really interesting. I'm curious...when you ask us "would you like to see a video on X?", do you actually plan your schedules on how we respond? Because if I were in your shoes, I'd think it makes more sense to record a bunch of videos in one country on one trip, and then edit them and upload them all once I'm back home (and maybe space them out over time) rather than flitting all over the place back and forth. This isn't a criticism, I'm just thinking it makes more logical sense to do it in batches, to save money!

I love how you speak Spanish with an British accent.

Aww, you missed the botanical gardens at Atocha at the end of the video. :( They're back open now, though without the invading terrapins that had made their home there! I don't think I've actually been on a Duck yet. The HSTs we have up here in Barna are almost all either Siemens ICEs or TGV Duplexes, though there are a few that are run as half-units on medium-distance services. I'm really looking forward to them introducing the new trains, as they're supposed to be a lot more comfortable than the existing fleets! Re: Iberian gauge, I think it should become the standard worldwide. Renfe's standard commuter trains are _so_ much roomier than their equivalents in London, and you almost always get a seat even at rush-hour. It's just a nicer experience, y'know?

Personally, I have to admire the fact that the Spanish government and industry had the foresight to create a network and service that is among the very best in the world. There are many western nations that would like to have it including my country the USA. Their trains are like someone else stated “Works of art”

The Google Earth animation from one train station to another with overlaid route is really great, haven't seen it anywhere else. One thing to add though would be a final zoom out such as locating each locations related to the country they are in.

You may like to know that an old fashioned TALGO (Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoetxea Oriol), is almost as fast as AVE. When the new railway was stablished 30 years ago, TALGO's from the 50's time was only 30 more minutes for the journey!

Nice video but I have a few remarks. 1. RENFE have 3 levels of service, with two seating options in Elige, which is not that unique nor confusing . A few weeks ago you traveled with Italo that has 4 levels, with up to 4 price levels for each of them and you, apparently, was fine with it. 2. I've never felt less comfortable on that model of train, nor did others I know (including other reviewers). Maybe the fact that you had preconceptions on this model cause you're conclusion. 3. The service is called AVE - as a word A-VE and not A.V.E. - yes, it is an acronym (for Alta Velocidad Española) but it's also a word that means bird so you say it as a word. 4. I always appreciate your effort to pronounce names correctly so for future Spanish names remember the acento that shows which part you emphasize like with Andalucía you cmphesize the cía (on the I). 5. Spain's high speed network is not "one of the longest in the world", it's the second longest, behind China, and the longest per capita. 6. Iryo is a Spanish company. It is owned by Air Nostrom, which is a Spanish airline and the major share holder. Trenitalia is also an owner. 7. As I've mentioned Iryo, they will operate on quite a few lines, including Sevilla-Madrid (starting 31st March 2023). OuiGo will also expand it's services to other lines during 2023, they already operate on the Madrid-Valencia line).

"...I visited at 7 AM, which isn't exactly early." Well, actually, yes it is. In any other country it wouldn't be, but as you already pointed out in the video, Spain basically lives in the wrong time zone. (Another remnant of the Franco era. That era explains a lot of things that might seem strange about Spain.) So while Portugal does the sensible thing and use UTC+0 (basically GMT) as its winter time, Spain is on UTC-1. The Spaniards solved this by doing everything an hour later. So your 7 AM is actually more like 6 AM, and that's just very early.

The Talgo was developed in Spain in the early 1940s, when much of the rest of Europe was embroiled in a war.

El pato es un tren magnífico👍

Thank you for the train videos. I'm in poor health and traveling just isn't my future, so videos like these let me see what I otherwise won't be able to.

Spain have really succeeded in building a high speed rail system! You can Go from Malaga (south spain) direct to Madrid (central spain) in Around 2 hours! Brilliant if you ask me.

Personally, I like the long nose style of these Talgos - not dissimilar to the style of some of the newer Japanese High Speed trainsets. One advantage which no one seems to have pointed out is the superior protection offered to the driver by that extended 'crumple-zone' in the event of a collision.

Thank you for sharing! My sister caught the AVE from Malaga to Madrid a couple of months ago and loved it, whereas I normally drive up from Gibraltar to Madrid and takes around 7 hours including stops. Good to see CQM Airport getting emptier, as I was there on my spotting trip last year and it was fairly busy.

Everything is relative, evidently, and compartative. But it is important to compare like with like. I was an everyday train passanger in the UK for 20 years, and I am now a regular AVE service user in Spain, and I must say theres is no valid comparison than can be made. The spanish service being far superior to any long distance (or short distance for that matter) trains service I used in the UK. This includes all categories you mention in your clip: speed, ride comfort, facilities onboard, price, ease of use, stations, even online ticketing. Sorry mate, but service value for money, Spanish trains are overall of the very best in Europe.

This is why Spain has got the best railways in Europe. Spain loves competing with other countries that have high speed railways.

in my country, the Philippines, which has more than 300 years of Spanish colonial occupation, we pronounced Ciudad “Shoo-dud” and it sounded pleasant

The train doesn't look strange to me. It would be great if the UK had invested in an electric high speed rail network. We're way behind Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Japan in this respect.

nice i love the way you pronounce the words, pure elegance

in 2019 i did the madrid atocha to alicante high speed train service , it was one of the best things i have ever been on brilliant service really enjoyed it and would recommend it

This train kind of reminds me of a platypus rather than a duck. However it was really pleasant using this train from Cordoba to Sevilla and at times it did reach a speed of 300 km/h

I would love a video on a gauge changing trains!

Talgo 350 has amazing features put all together. Lowest energy consume in hst market, low floor boarding, lowest weight, noise reduction entering tunnels thanks to it's peak shape (everything has a purpose), facilities for disabled people, faster speed in curves due to its tilting system and length of coaches....

I enjoy your videos primarily because you have a comprehensive voice over instead of subtitles alone. I can keep watching and listening at the same time. Request: can you please also mention the price of all classes instead of just the one you’re traveling on? Would like to know all the options. Thanks!

You have to take into account that 7 AM in Seville equates to 6 AM in UK or even earlier since Seville is 6° west from Greenwich/London (0°) but the official time is UTC+1 (or UTC+2 during “summertime”) rather than UTC (or UTC+1 during “summertime”).

1:20 I mean, when the sun gets out by ~8 am, it’s quite early xd. 3:05 At my station the security check is super quick (when there aren’t many people around) and the ticket check is a QR code scan. 15:33 As he said in the video, Iryo (supported by Trenitalia) now has routes in the east, central and south of Spain. And the train that can be seen in the background is Ouigo’s, which is SNCF’s low cost brand.

While in all of Europe you still had to go up a whole staircase to board a train, Talgo already had stepless entry 😊 To make that work though, they had to do that whole trick with the single axle.

Amazing Video. I really like how you edit and present it. A huge improvement compared to the first videos you started to do voice overs. Congrats :)

FYI: 7 am is ridiculously early, especially in a country where evenings only start at 11pm

They will soon have loco hauled siblings in Germany and Denmark ... DB and DSB will get some Talgo 230 sets soon. They will have the same short wagon one axile design.

The new Talgo S106 trains supposedly have a much, much smoother bogie system while stilll having one axle. They will also reach higher speeds.

It looks a very interesting train. Nice to see your videos are back.

Hopefully Australia will be getting one of those gauge changers!

The cafe car is delicious😋 The first class decor and furnishings are very classy.

I'm saddened Trenhotel is no more. It was my preferred passage between Spain and Portugal. Great memories of meals in the groovy 70s-styled club car.

Just took a ride on an older Algeciras-Madrid Talgo, the one that changes gauge (and locomotive) in Antequera. It only reaches 200 kmh on high speed sections, but then it shakes randomly side to side quite heavily, like hitting flanges and bouncing back. Then it rides smoothly for a few minutes. That was weird. The air pressure shock from an oncoming train is also more noticeable than on TGV, but I wouldn't call it violent.

Brilliant film and information - thanks as always. It would be great to see what travel is like on one of the gauge changing trains. Cheers :)

This line is being equipped with ERTMS now as it was the first one built in the country and back then ERTMS didn't exist. It will increase capacity and reliability. It was not fully built to the high speed standard along the entire route but only some sections, that is why it doesn't reach 300 km/h as often as it should.

In the UK the massive cost of train travel means anyone can do it cheaper in a car including parking costs, this is the massive reason train travel is often underused. Until train journeys are hugely reduced in cost many trains will still be unused poorly used. The rail companies should be in the hands of governments not private companies who's only aim is profit.

The best ticket checking experience I've had was with RegioJet in the Czech Republic. I've bought the ticket online and selected my seat form a carriage plan. Than I got on the train, the steward gave me water, and marked on his tablet that I sat in my seat. No scanning codes, no hassle. Probably if I'd travel with a special discount I'd have been asked for a document, but that's all.

La verdad es que si tenemos una muy buena Red de ferrocarriles en todo general, pero el AVE es una pasada, España Loveeeeeee os esperamos a todos

The gauge changing system was invented by Talgo. Now used on many parts of the world.

I think traveled on one of those trains on Barcelona to Madrid, when they just opened a new line about 15 years ago, they did not operate at full speed. But the trip was nice, were in first class, and the trip included lunch and drinks.

Having been to Spain and Portugal for research trips, I noticed lots of extremely lightly used rail infrastructure, and that buses are far more popular across the Iberian peninsula for whatever reason.

Good to have you back albie:) I have to say, these look absolutely bizarre to me, although, I think they’ve grown on me a bit. It’s also weird to see a unit that’s not a pacer with a single axle layout, especially when this train goes literally double the pacer’s speed limit! Still, a fantastic video as always. And Yes, we all do want that video on gauge switchers!

Spains Talgo Great hi speed train low costs and extremely reliable & confortable

7am is the middle of the night in Spain, no wonder all was closed. :D

The shape of the nose was an idea from a Japanese designer who realised that the dolphin nose, or as we might call it, the duck bill, is actually very good aerodynamically. Oh, and the carriages don't have full width axles at all. Each wheel is mounted independently. Being pedantic, there are four very small axles, but they're really hubs.

Great trip. Finally you are back again. I prefer ticket and security checking before entering the platform. Correct me if I wrong, there is Japan Shinkansen which can operate between standard gauge for high speed and narrow gauge line.

Nice to see a video on the channel after a 4 week break!

This was super interesting, thank you for the video!! I'm planning a trip along the UKs High Speed 1 line at some point in 2024... And then maybe I'll pop to Spain to give this a go! Always loved how these trains looked

Interestingly Seville is the start of the world's longest unbroken train journey. Around 10,000kms starting from Seville and goes right through to Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam via Europe, Russia and China in that order.

It is strange that all the little shops and bars inside the station are closed, I was in that station last July and they were open at 7:40am

Spain's transport infrastructure is epic, and should be the envy of it's European neighbours. Is it possible to travel from Malaga to Amsterdam using their high speed trains?

Interrail is european Rail enthusiast youtubers dream. It makes sense financially and good for you. You can see the whole of europe and enjoy all the trains of about 33 countries! Thanks for sharing!!

Gauge changing trains? Yes please

I disagree with the author of the video, I think the design of the train (interior and exterior) is magnificent and very original.

The AVE is consciously competing with domestic air services, hence the pre-boarding checks. Also, subsequent to the Atocha train bombings, they’re a bit concerned about possible, high-profile repetitions. As an organisation, their service levels have declined over the past few years, especially on the non-AVE sector. Incidentally, Pacers have two axles.

Good job! I have to give the AVE a try some day. Minor correction. It's Puertollano, not Puertoallano. Puertollano has Spain's only inland refinery, served by a 350 km pipeline from the port of Cartagena.

Excellent video and informative 👍

Schienenzeppelin In 1930 Franz Kruckenberg invented a revolutionary rail vehicle: a kind of zeppelin on wheels, made from lightweight aluminum, driven by an aircraft engine and a propeller. This futuristic manifestation set a world record with a speed of 230 km/h, only surpassed in 1954. Even after some modifications the Schienenzeppelin was not suitable for regular service. No carriages could be attached, the propeller was dangerous and most tracks were not suitable for such high speeds. Consequently the Reichsbahn developed its own Schnelltriebwagen in 1932.

the talgo 350 is a good looking train imo, i prefer it to the boring standard design most high speed trains have

Indeed, a video on changing guages and their mutual implementations on Spain railroads I would find very interesting.

The Talgo engines didn't last on the Amtrak Cascade Vancouver to Seattle run. They were replaced after 2 years. The rolling stock still runs though.

2:52 I prefer ticket inspection on-board. Because... you can enter the train without a ticket and hide on the toilet so the conductor doesn't see you and you don't get in troubles while travelling for free. And voilà, that's all

Beautiful video! 'cudos to the creative subscribe thing! Loved it! 👍

The last video feels like ages ago. Thanks for posting a new one. 🤗

Yes yes yes. Would love a video of the gauge changing trains

How beautiful it's to travel by train 🥲

Yes of course we want a video of a gauge change train journey!! 😄

7 am is super early in Spain

Nice train, It looks like those Japanese high speed trains!

@13:16 check out the dirty mare unpacking her trunk in the reflection. 😆

The largest problem that Renfe has is their poor website and not being able to book a connection, without making to separate bookings. I now use Ouigo for trips between Barcelona and Madrid as their booking system is so simple, so quick, something Renfe don't seem to understand.

Amazing trip 👌

Actually Renfe's Avril trains will enter service next summer if everything goes as planned

4:06 absolutely heartbroken 😦 lol. Glad you enjoyed the journey. Nice report!👍

Great video! You might want to look into getting a polarisation filter for your camera. It will greatly reduce window reflections for those beautiful out-of-window landscape shots

I remember riding a Trenhotel from Barcelona to Galicia in 2018. It was so good. Sad they're gone.

I travelled on a tren hotel from Monforte de Lemos in Lugo province, Galicia to Charmartin Station in Madrid, then changed to AVE Pato train from Atocha to Málaga. An amazing journey but since (13 yrs ago) I have travelled to Galicia from Málaga by air.

Did Cadiz- Sevilla once, loved it :)

Excelente vídeo de trenes de alta velocidad española ( AVE ) Saludos desde España

Great video! I would appreciate more videos about the Spain rail network here on yt :D

I am a fan of TALGO... Specially the ability to change tracks..gauge....It can run on both tracks ballasted and concrete tracks like other country bullet train in Asia...Hope one day I will come to see the Engineering marvelous

Even the basico ticket on one of these is the most comfortable experience I've ever had on a train. Seats are fantastic, almost too much legroom, and the ride is so damn smooth