A first view of Renfe's new KISS/FLIRT EMUs

On 5 July 2023 Renfe President, Raül Blanco, visited Stadler's factory in Albuixech, València, where he was able to see construction in progress of the first two of the 79 EMUs ordered in spring 2021 for Cercanías services.  

At present only the first two trains of the batch are being built. These are referred to as T100 and T200. During 2024 they will be subjected to authorisation testing. Neither pure FLIRTs or pure KISSes, they are a mixture of these two basic designs of EMU, with both single and double deck cars in the formation - the first of the type to be built by Stadler. Once authorisation testing and design and performance validation have taken place, work will start on building the remaining 77 trains, with a delivery rate of two per month. The whole massive project has generated 500 new jobs at Albuixech.

Both T100 and T200 are of flexible design as regards composition, capacity and hence length (the numbers reflect overall length). The powered cars (Bo’Bo’) are the single deck ones, the double deck cars being mounted on non-powered bogies. The T100 versions (24 to be built) will start out in life as four-car trains - the end cars being single deck, the intermediate ones, double deck - with a power rating of 3,600 kW.

However, to meet rising demand for travel, it will be possible to add one further intermediate double deck trailer to a T100, which will then be designated T120 (five cars). A six-car T160 variant, rated at 7,200 kW, can also be created, this incorporating two more single deck cars and the two original double deck cars.

The T200s (35 to be built) will be built as eight-car trains, with single deck end cars, two intermediate single deck cars with powered bogies, and four double deck intermediate cars, these coupled in pairs. The power rating will thus be 7,200 kW. The T200 can also be lengthened, becoming a T240 variant. This can be done with the addition of two more double deck cars, retaining the 7,200 kW power rating.

All trains will be fitted with batteries, enabling catenary-free operation for up to 10 km at a restricted speed of 5 km/h. Both the T100 and the T200, together with their variants, will have a starting acceleration rate of 0.83 m/s2 up to 40 km/h and 0.75 m/s² thence to 100 km/h. 

The T100 will be fitted with seats for 252 passengers, and room for up to 675 standees, while the T200 will have a total capacity of 1,890 passengers. Internal width of the single deck cars will be 2,760 mm, and of the double deck cars 2,850 mm. Headrooms will be 2,223 mm in single deck cars and up to 1,900 mm in double deck cars. All cars will be 100% barrier-free, and will have multi-purpose spaces for bikes, luggage, prams and wheelchairs.