RENFE Euromed review: A stunning ride onboard that gauge changing train
video description
Date: 2024-01-09
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 35
train
YOU'VE BEEN CONNED - ITS FAST BUT NOT SUPER HIGH SPEED!
There are NO Super High Speed lines using the normal Spanish 5ft 6in gauge system. The ONLY SUPER HIGH SPEED ROUTE IN SPAIN, Contrary to the LIES by the Spanish Governments PROPAGANDA Department, is the Brussels inspired & paid for, INTERNATIONAL route from Paris France, via Lyon, Montpellier, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid to Seville, which of course has to use the European Standard Gauge of 4ft 8. 5in, NOT the Spanish 5ft 6in gauge!
YOUR JOURNEY
Barcelona to Valencia is 303km (188miles) by rail. Fastest journey (1 train a day each way) takes 2hr 40mins. (Other journeys on this route average 4 HOURS but cost as low as -8. So deducting station dwell times (10mins, leaving 150min for the actual journey, means the train you travelled on did not exceed an average of just 70mph. SO NO HIGH SPEED LINES ARE USED, & NO HIGH SPEEDS (over 100mph) were reached! Which means like Millions of other passengers for at least the last 20 years, YOU WERE CONNED!
WELCOME TO SPAIN THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN EUROPE - WHY DO YOU THINK THE COUNTRY IS STILL OFFICIALLY THIRD WORLD?
GAUGE CHANGING S-130 TGV CLONE. These trains are simply the standard design originally for use on the 4ft 8. 5in gauge SUPER HIGH SPEED LINE. Now placed on 5ft 6in gauge bogies. They CANNOT change gauge en route, or even while waiting at a station, as the power car bogies require a few hours work to change. The only vehicles designed to change gauge whilst moving (at no faster than 3kmh) were a number of freight wagon types, and certain specialised -TALGO- coaches. When they passed through a specialised building, with lifting and axle locking & unlocking automated equipment. These buildings are found at the Spanish/French border stations of Cebere/Port Bou, and Hendaye/Irun. Also in Madrid & Seville.
reply
YOU'VE BEEN CONNED - ITS FAST BUT NOT SUPER HIGH SPEED!
There are NO Super High Speed lines using the normal Spanish 5ft 6in gauge system. The ONLY SUPER HIGH SPEED ROUTE IN SPAIN, Contrary to the LIES by the Spanish Governments PROPAGANDA Department, is the Brussels inspired & paid for, INTERNATIONAL route from Paris France, via Lyon, Montpellier, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid to Seville, which of course has to use the European Standard Gauge of 4ft 8. 5in, NOT the Spanish 5ft 6in gauge!
YOUR JOURNEY
Barcelona to Valencia is 303km (188miles) by rail. Fastest journey (1 train a day each way) takes 2hr 40mins. (Other journeys on this route average 4 HOURS but cost as low as -8. So deducting station dwell times (10mins, leaving 150min for the actual journey, means the train you travelled on did not exceed an average of just 70mph. SO NO HIGH SPEED LINES ARE USED, & NO HIGH SPEEDS (over 100mph) were reached! Which means like Millions of other passengers for at least the last 20 years, YOU WERE CONNED!
WELCOME TO SPAIN THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN EUROPE - WHY DO YOU THINK THE COUNTRY IS STILL OFFICIALLY THIRD WORLD?
GAUGE CHANGING S-130 TGV CLONE. These trains are simply the standard design originally for use on the 4ft 8. 5in gauge SUPER HIGH SPEED LINE. Now placed on 5ft 6in gauge bogies. They CANNOT change gauge en route, or even while waiting at a station, as the power car bogies require a few hours work to change. The only vehicles designed to change gauge whilst moving (at no faster than 3kmh) were a number of freight wagon types, and certain specialised -TALGO- coaches. When they passed through a specialised building, with lifting and axle locking & unlocking automated equipment. These buildings are found at the Spanish/French border stations of Cebere/Port Bou, and Hendaye/Irun. Also in Madrid & Seville.
reply
-Santiago604F
As a spaniard, I can tell the story of this service is quite unique!
In the 1990s, when this service started to operate, it was operated by iberian gauge S-100s (Yep! Those that make AVE services, called S-101 to be distinguished from it's twin. It operated until 2011 (I'm still sad it got retired, it did its job great, when it got replaced by the rolling stock you boarded in. Really like the review! :)
-FUN FACT: The unit 101-012 had one standard locomotive, while the other one was a TGV Duplex one! This happened due to a fatal crash in 2002 (and it was the only S-101 to carry the current RENFE livery, and now it's operating as an S-100 in the routes Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Alacant
reply
As a spaniard, I can tell the story of this service is quite unique!
In the 1990s, when this service started to operate, it was operated by iberian gauge S-100s (Yep! Those that make AVE services, called S-101 to be distinguished from it's twin. It operated until 2011 (I'm still sad it got retired, it did its job great, when it got replaced by the rolling stock you boarded in. Really like the review! :)
-FUN FACT: The unit 101-012 had one standard locomotive, while the other one was a TGV Duplex one! This happened due to a fatal crash in 2002 (and it was the only S-101 to carry the current RENFE livery, and now it's operating as an S-100 in the routes Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Alacant
reply
-TheCriminalViolin
Is it just me, or does it seem like Thibault made this one a fair amount more choppy and fast? Seems as though it was rushed in order to not have it be too long, but it was very rough compared to his normal videos for me. Normally I can follow along and it's flow is just right, not too rushed/fast, and I can typically also read through the captions without needed to pause and skip back a few times in order to finish reading them. This time I had to pause and skip back a lot. I guess I would like to see how many others noticed this as well, because I can tell it's certainly different.
reply
Is it just me, or does it seem like Thibault made this one a fair amount more choppy and fast? Seems as though it was rushed in order to not have it be too long, but it was very rough compared to his normal videos for me. Normally I can follow along and it's flow is just right, not too rushed/fast, and I can typically also read through the captions without needed to pause and skip back a few times in order to finish reading them. This time I had to pause and skip back a lot. I guess I would like to see how many others noticed this as well, because I can tell it's certainly different.
reply
train
Great video, I lived in Valencia for four years (2004 to 2008) and really enjoyed using these trains when I went to visit my parents in Catalunya. The seats are revolved for each journey so most people face the direction of travel. I loved the way you could stand in the snack car and sip your coffee as the scenery slid by. Like you, I usually ddin't bother with the -auriculares- when they came through! By the way, Estacion de Francia is beautiful, well worth visiting. The seating colour never bothered me.
reply
Great video, I lived in Valencia for four years (2004 to 2008) and really enjoyed using these trains when I went to visit my parents in Catalunya. The seats are revolved for each journey so most people face the direction of travel. I loved the way you could stand in the snack car and sip your coffee as the scenery slid by. Like you, I usually ddin't bother with the -auriculares- when they came through! By the way, Estacion de Francia is beautiful, well worth visiting. The seating colour never bothered me.
reply
train
4: 44 Renfe also uses the Series S-730, which are hybrid versions of this train. They were (and still are) very important for the connection between Madrid and Galicia during its transition from the old tracks to the new high speed ones (which will be ready soon. The trip starts on standard gauge high speed lines, it then continues on very old Iberian gauge unelectrified tracks and finishes with high speed lines again in Galicia, but this time Iberian gauge high speed lines. Talk about versatility!
reply
4: 44 Renfe also uses the Series S-730, which are hybrid versions of this train. They were (and still are) very important for the connection between Madrid and Galicia during its transition from the old tracks to the new high speed ones (which will be ready soon. The trip starts on standard gauge high speed lines, it then continues on very old Iberian gauge unelectrified tracks and finishes with high speed lines again in Galicia, but this time Iberian gauge high speed lines. Talk about versatility!
reply
-SJ-vi1bl
From 2020, the old Tarragona -Valencia line along the coast is only open to Port Aventura (now -Salou-Port Aventura-. Both Cambrils and L'Hospitalet de L'Infant got their new stations on the newly built Mediterranean corridor from Camp de Tarragona. All Catalonia regional service beyond Tarragona have to use a single track link between Vila Seca and the new Mediterranean corridor. Things get very complicated, mixing new/old lines, standard/iberia gauges. Welcome to Spain! (to some, Catalonia)
reply
From 2020, the old Tarragona -Valencia line along the coast is only open to Port Aventura (now -Salou-Port Aventura-. Both Cambrils and L'Hospitalet de L'Infant got their new stations on the newly built Mediterranean corridor from Camp de Tarragona. All Catalonia regional service beyond Tarragona have to use a single track link between Vila Seca and the new Mediterranean corridor. Things get very complicated, mixing new/old lines, standard/iberia gauges. Welcome to Spain! (to some, Catalonia)
reply
-sjokomelk
The Talgo wagons are so short because they only have 1 separate axle, and not 2 on a bogie as -normal- trains do. So the wagons has to be much lighter, and the only way to solve that is to make them much shorter. They couldn't have a normal bogie to get the gauge changing mechanism to work.
reply
The Talgo wagons are so short because they only have 1 separate axle, and not 2 on a bogie as -normal- trains do. So the wagons has to be much lighter, and the only way to solve that is to make them much shorter. They couldn't have a normal bogie to get the gauge changing mechanism to work.
reply
-yagi3925
Thanks for this interesting report, as always with -Simply Railway-. I'd just like to point out that it's -Catalonia- in English, not -Catalunya-. Your trip reports from Germany are from Germany, not from -Deutschland-, right, so those from Catalonia are - well, from Catalonia.
reply
Thanks for this interesting report, as always with -Simply Railway-. I'd just like to point out that it's -Catalonia- in English, not -Catalunya-. Your trip reports from Germany are from Germany, not from -Deutschland-, right, so those from Catalonia are - well, from Catalonia.
reply
-mattingham83
I've only travelled by RENFE once (Barcelona > Madrid > Algeciras) and I really enjoyed it. Staff were brilliant and it was very comfy. Hopefully I'll get to use them again this year or in 2022! Especially if the journey from Barcelona to Valencia has such amazing views: )
reply
I've only travelled by RENFE once (Barcelona > Madrid > Algeciras) and I really enjoyed it. Staff were brilliant and it was very comfy. Hopefully I'll get to use them again this year or in 2022! Especially if the journey from Barcelona to Valencia has such amazing views: )
reply
-darkshines800
Am I right in seeing that these coaches are really very short, and have shared bogies between the coaches? I've never seen anything quite like it! Those coaches must be about half the length of say a Eurostar coach. It's bizarre, and I'm all for that!
reply
Am I right in seeing that these coaches are really very short, and have shared bogies between the coaches? I've never seen anything quite like it! Those coaches must be about half the length of say a Eurostar coach. It's bizarre, and I'm all for that!
reply
-miguellara2289
A bit lost filming the sign that pointed the way to the high speed trains and to information, and with all your traveling experience you had issues in front signs showing the options. Millennium snowflake never goe into the wilderness alone.
reply
A bit lost filming the sign that pointed the way to the high speed trains and to information, and with all your traveling experience you had issues in front signs showing the options. Millennium snowflake never goe into the wilderness alone.
reply
train
I think that the Standard gauge and the Iberian gauge on different sides of the station is incredibly idiotic. They could just put gauge changers at the border and the have the Iberian gauge for the whole country. That is way smarter.
reply
I think that the Standard gauge and the Iberian gauge on different sides of the station is incredibly idiotic. They could just put gauge changers at the border and the have the Iberian gauge for the whole country. That is way smarter.
reply
-AlshehriAhmed
I-m an international student here in the US, and I have a friend here that has a family in Valencia. If I make it there next year, I-ll take this train from Barcelona to Valencia. It seems a beautiful experience!
reply
I-m an international student here in the US, and I have a friend here that has a family in Valencia. If I make it there next year, I-ll take this train from Barcelona to Valencia. It seems a beautiful experience!
reply
-tonkla2911
If you go to southeast asia you should try the eastern orient express which go between bangkok and singapore. If you ride train in thailand you should use the specail express cnr train because there the best.
reply
If you go to southeast asia you should try the eastern orient express which go between bangkok and singapore. If you ride train in thailand you should use the specail express cnr train because there the best.
reply
-DanielsUKT
ggreat video on the renfe euromed i love the mediterranean scenery AND ITS INTRESTING HOW THE TRAIN IS COMPATIBLE with both standard and iberian gauage but yh the interior does look a bit like hospital lol
reply
ggreat video on the renfe euromed i love the mediterranean scenery AND ITS INTRESTING HOW THE TRAIN IS COMPATIBLE with both standard and iberian gauage but yh the interior does look a bit like hospital lol
reply
-JohannesIhrler
I feel like not knowing where to go is just a part of the experience of busy spanish train stations. Happened to me the one time I took a train in Atocha and the two times I took a train in Sants: D
reply
I feel like not knowing where to go is just a part of the experience of busy spanish train stations. Happened to me the one time I took a train in Atocha and the two times I took a train in Sants: D
reply
train
My first impression was that the interior design looked a little dated, but with refurbishment coming soon, they should be re-invented as the amazing trains they were when they were first released.
reply
My first impression was that the interior design looked a little dated, but with refurbishment coming soon, they should be re-invented as the amazing trains they were when they were first released.
reply
-robertcostea
You need to have this trip again. Starting January 2020, the service uses the high-speed line from Barcelona to Camp de Tarragona, and then you have the chance to see the gauge changer: )
reply
You need to have this trip again. Starting January 2020, the service uses the high-speed line from Barcelona to Camp de Tarragona, and then you have the chance to see the gauge changer: )
reply
-teepicgamer7374
Next time you're in the states, could you try the CapMet Red Line in Austin, TX? It's a 32-mile commuter/ light rail that runs from downtown Austin to Leander, using a Stadler GTW.
reply
Next time you're in the states, could you try the CapMet Red Line in Austin, TX? It's a 32-mile commuter/ light rail that runs from downtown Austin to Leander, using a Stadler GTW.
reply
-benjamintery7847
Love it! Although it's nice to have entertainment, I'd much rather look out the window, even though in this case it did not look particularly clean.
Great video as always! :)
reply
Love it! Although it's nice to have entertainment, I'd much rather look out the window, even though in this case it did not look particularly clean.
Great video as always! :)
reply
-B-A-L
How come the Spanish have had a successful gauge changing train system for years yet the Japanese, who are usually at the forefront of train technology, haven't been able to manage it yet?
reply
How come the Spanish have had a successful gauge changing train system for years yet the Japanese, who are usually at the forefront of train technology, haven't been able to manage it yet?
reply
-InterRegios
The true Euromed Services were provided with Alstom TGV Class 101 trains, otherwise is just a common Talgo-like service. Usual travellers still miss the old TGV trains.
reply
The true Euromed Services were provided with Alstom TGV Class 101 trains, otherwise is just a common Talgo-like service. Usual travellers still miss the old TGV trains.
reply
-andreugaldran9872
This video to be current needs to be recorded since mid-January of 2020, but for now we need to wait until Catalonia is free and not confined like currently
reply
This video to be current needs to be recorded since mid-January of 2020, but for now we need to wait until Catalonia is free and not confined like currently
reply
-liamophronnsias
Was booked on Barcelona-Valencia for a trip to Las Fallas last year. the first day of the Spanish lockdown. In fairness, RENFE gave a full refund unprompted.
reply
Was booked on Barcelona-Valencia for a trip to Las Fallas last year. the first day of the Spanish lockdown. In fairness, RENFE gave a full refund unprompted.
reply
-westboy84
Great video! I also got lost at Barcelona Sants when I was there. Glad it wasn't a newbie problem! I thoroughly enjoyed the AVE trains and service. Top notch!
reply
Great video! I also got lost at Barcelona Sants when I was there. Glad it wasn't a newbie problem! I thoroughly enjoyed the AVE trains and service. Top notch!
reply
-NClass468
After a recent High speed upgrade, the Euromed now uses a more inland alignment through Camp De Tarragona, and misses most of the coastline, as of mid 2020. -
reply
After a recent High speed upgrade, the Euromed now uses a more inland alignment through Camp De Tarragona, and misses most of the coastline, as of mid 2020. -
reply
-kimmillard9445
Cool watch and strap at 5: 49. Didn't realize thin was back in with young Europeans. Is that a Nomos? They specialize in really thin watches.
reply
Cool watch and strap at 5: 49. Didn't realize thin was back in with young Europeans. Is that a Nomos? They specialize in really thin watches.
reply
-VulcanTrekkie45
Hey, where do you get the train icons you use on the map at the beginning of your videos? I'd love to find good train diagrams like those
reply
Hey, where do you get the train icons you use on the map at the beginning of your videos? I'd love to find good train diagrams like those
reply
train
That Talgo is a horrible, rattling mess. Plus the widow was either dirty or scratched up. I would not enjoy a ride with this train at all.
reply
That Talgo is a horrible, rattling mess. Plus the widow was either dirty or scratched up. I would not enjoy a ride with this train at all.
reply
-jonchall71
Trains look the same from when i did same trip maybe 7-8 years ago. Good train, awful colour scheme. Catalan coastline is superb.
reply
Trains look the same from when i did same trip maybe 7-8 years ago. Good train, awful colour scheme. Catalan coastline is superb.
reply
-dieterhelm1754
What a crappy way of taping. too fast switching, too much reflection in
window shots, baaaad closeups. Poor editing.
reply
What a crappy way of taping. too fast switching, too much reflection in
window shots, baaaad closeups. Poor editing.
reply
-IAFCHY
Enjoy your video so much. It would have been even better if you add a short video showing what you do in destination cities.
reply
Enjoy your video so much. It would have been even better if you add a short video showing what you do in destination cities.
reply
-laszlosteiner
They are 15 years old, due to a refurbishment soon. The interior will get a colour scheme & design update hopefully.
reply
They are 15 years old, due to a refurbishment soon. The interior will get a colour scheme & design update hopefully.
reply
-frankgames5601
In a few years a new station will be the central in Barcelona, it's going to be called Barcelona La Sagrera.
reply
In a few years a new station will be the central in Barcelona, it's going to be called Barcelona La Sagrera.
reply
train
I like that the miniature photo of the video, an s130 in asturias, when your trip doesn-t pass trough asturias jajaja
reply
I like that the miniature photo of the video, an s130 in asturias, when your trip doesn-t pass trough asturias jajaja
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
