A leaked photo from Stadler’s test tracks in Albacete, captured by Instagram user @dcampet_, shows unit 453-602, a 200 m train, wearing the new Cercanías livery. The design marks a dramatic shift from Renfe’s recent white-dominated schemes to a red-led look, with white relegated to a secondary, contrasting role around the doors.
The new livery breaks with decades of Renfe practice. Except for Avlo, recent stock has been primarily white, with the “Cercanías red” confined to the cab front and a parallel purple-and-red stripe along the lower body. In the leaked images, red is now dominant; it may appear darker due to lighting, but the author of the images suggests it could be the same “Cercanías red” used since the 1980s.
Social media reaction has been largely negative, likely due to the radical nature of the change. After years of a white base – itself often criticised by enthusiasts – the new look is proving jarring.
A more substantive criticism is the complete absence of the Cercanías logo in the available footage. Along the train side, however, several red circles are visible, which could accommodate either the current tilted “C” or a restyled version that Renfe may be keeping under wraps ahead of an official rebrand reveal.
Will Renfe dare to drop the classic tilted “C”? What do you think of the new livery? Let us know in the comments.