Alvia


Alvia is a high-speed train in Spain used by Renfe Operadora for long-distance service with a top speed of 250 km/h. The trains have the ability to use both Iberian gauge and standard gauge, which allows them to travel on the recently constructed high-speed lines for part of the journey before switching to the ″classic″ Iberian gauge network to complete it. Trains that run exclusively on high-speed tracks are branded AVE or Avant.

Routes

, RENFE Class 120 / 121, RENFE Class 130 and RENFE Class 730 trains are in service.
Class 120 trains are used on the routes from Madrid to Pamplona, Logroño, Irún and Hendaye , and between Barcelona and Irún, Bilbao.
Class 121 trains are employed on the routes from Madrid to Huelva, Ponferrada, Gijón and Santander changing gauge at Seville, León and Venta de Baños.
Class 130 trains are used on the routes from Madrid to Bilbao, Irún, and Hendaye, from Alicante to Gijón and Santander changing gauge at León and Venta de Baños, between Castellón and Gijón, and between Barcelona and Galicia.
Finally Class 730 are used on the routes from Alicante to A Coruña, Vigo and Pontevedra.

Crash

On 24 July 2013, the train driver of an Alvia 730 train travelling to Ferrol, Galicia, from Madrid took a curve well above the posted speed limit, and derailed near Santiago de Compostela killing 79 people and injuring more than 140.