Czech Republic: The five-car unit of Series 480 is undergoing a certification process at the VUZ Velim test centre. Next year, the first trains based on the Civity platform are scheduled to enter commercial service on regional lines of Valencia, Spain.
As reported, the Series 480 trains have a maximum speed of 200 km/h and a passenger capacity of 264 people. The interiors feature dedicated spaces for luggage and bicycles. Batteries enable the trains to pass short distances on non-electrified sections or in case of power supply failures. The rolling stock is produced at the manufacturer’s Spanish facility in Beasain.
In October 2022, the national operator Renfe awarded CAF a base contract for 28 such trains. Later, the customer exercised options for another 42 vehicles, bringing the total value of the procurement to €520 mln. The delivery covers 61 trains in three- and five-car configurations for the 1,668 mm Iberian gauge and nine units for the 1,435 mm European gauge. The new rolling stock will replace the Series 470 trains from CAF and MACOSA, deployed since 1974.
