Renfe has formalised the award of a service contract to CAF to modify the train control and management system (TCMS), known as Cosmos, on the Series 120, 120.050 and 121 fleets for 986.000€ + VAT.
The objective is to improve the automatic handling of two critical operations for these units: gauge changeover and traction supply voltage switching. As the technology is proprietary to CAF, the procurement procedure was negotiated without prior publication.
The Series 120, 120.050 and 121, built by CAF and Alstom, are variable-gauge EMUs capable of operating on both Iberian gauge (1,668 mm) and standard gauge (1,435 mm) lines. They are also dual-voltage, operating at 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC regardless of gauge. Both transitions are performed automatically while passing through gauge-changing installations.
The Cosmos TCMS upgrade aims to reduce operational incidents linked to the automation of these processes, which require coordination of multiple onboard subsystems — including Brava variable-gauge bogies, pantographs and traction equipment — in a manoeuvre completed in under one minute without stopping.
More robust automatic management is expected to deliver higher reliability across long-distance and regional services operating over mixed-gauge networks.