Hello all ;
Maybe the biggest majority of americans will not see soccer and cannot understand all this 'hoopla' about soccer in europe, but the Champions League Final, that's going to take place in my hometown of Lisbon is ther reason for a sudden big moove of special passenger trains. Since the twwo final contenders came from Madrid and both cities are more or less at a distance of 400 miles, the spanish operator Renfe decided to launch ome special trains to carry the soccer hordes. All these moves will be using Talgo sets, and will be diesel powered (with EMD derivatives, wether series 333,2 or 334) between MAdrid and the border, and from the border ownwards, portuguese railways series 5600 will do the job. I'll try to do a little report about it.
Anyway, the route used will not be the most direct, because that one, via Cáceres, has been deactivated on the portuguese side (intelligent desicion ...), so, all trains will be travelling via Salamanca and Coimbra.
Here are the schedules, taken from Renfe's site
"
TREN TALGO DIURNO nº 10332/10335
IDA sábado día 24
VUELTA domingo día 25
TREN TALGO CAMAS nº 11332/11335
IDA viernes día 23
VUELTA Domingo día 25
TREN TALGO DIURNO nº 10334/10337
VUELTA sábado día 24
TREN TALGO CAMAS nº 11334/11337
IDA sábado día 24 Salida Madrid Chamartín Talgo VI Turista
VUELTA Domingo día 25 Salida Lisboa Santa Apolonia
Very interesting. Keep us updated!
The best analogy on this side of the Atlantic might be the Super Bowl although it doesn't generate quite as much rail traffic. The only sporting event that's bigger than either of these events will be in Brazil in about three weeks.
Hello all, so here's the 1st report
The morning trains, 5 in total, arrived with delays between 28 and 30 minutes. The regular lusitania express, now the only night train operating in the Iberian Peninsula, wich also was reinforced (an extra Talgo consist, so 3 consists together) arrived 6 minutes behind schedule. The only exception was the first 'inbound' train that got 2 hours behind scehdule, because there was a fatality due to heart attack. Due to this, it stopped in the border station more than itwas schedulesd. The afternoon trains, 3 in total, are caming, with the following delays & train numbers : 11124. due to arrive at 15:24, 12 minutes behind schedule, 11126, with ETA 15:54, 40 minutes behind schedule, 11128, due to arrive at 16:46, on time. I'll post some photos and movies ASP
Anyway, it was possible to see the all 'vast array' of Talgo consists in Lisbon, from the older Talgo IV sets of the Luistania, the former 'elipsos' from the late Paris-Madrid Talgo service (now replaced by a TGV via Barcelona, tis consist was 5C5, and a huge one with 26 Talgo 'boxes'), and the all new Talgo VII on the 'Train & Breakfast' service, consist 7C5
Here's a glimpse of all the 'special train' action on video reports.
The inbound trains, in Portugal, early morning and afternoon, several locations and shown mingling with the regular traffic. Action shows the trains on the main Lisbon to Oporto 'North line', all double track, and also on the single track CTC Beira Alta line (presently with lotsa slow orders due to deferred maintenance, so some trains pass at slow pace)
The outbound trains, nest to their final destination in Madrid on the conventinal main line from Madrid to Irun 'Imperial line'. Motive power is mixed, all diesels shown are EMD derivatives (series 333.4 and 334). All the trains with electric power were routed via Medina del Campo (longer route with a reverse move), while diesel powered trains were routed directly from Salamanca to Avila via Peñaranda de Bracamonte, maybe3 due to traffic constraints on this last route (operated with 'Radio' block)
One last note : all the generations of 'Talgo Pendular' stock are shown on these movies
Dunno why, but the video links do not seem to be working, so I'm posting them directly here and on the sma eorder as stated on the text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qah8anr9T9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph3cDE7HVSk
Another 'piece' of video, this time a sort of official one
http://webrails.tv/tv/?p=13248
Thanks for the links! The whole thing is very interesting. Those double-Talgo trains are so long!
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