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 TEE Catalan Talgo in Geneva, 1979 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1969–1982) InterCity (IC) (1982–1987) EuroCity (EC) (1987–2010) |
| Locale |  Spain France Switzerland |
| Predecessor | Le Catalan |
| First service | 1 June 1969 |
| Last service | 18 December 2010 |
| Former operator(s) | RENFE SNCF |
| Route | |
| Termini | Barcelona França Genève-Cornavin |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | Talgo III Rodadura Desplazable |
| Track gauge | 1668 mm (Spain) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (France & Switzerland) |
| Electrification | 3000 V DC (Spain) 1500 V DC (France & Switzerland) |
The Catalan Talgo was an international express train that linked Geneva, Switzerland, with Barcelona, Spain from 1969 to 2010.[1][2][3] It was named after the Spanish region Catalonia and the Talgo equipment it used.[4] It was an extension and upgrading of a predecessor train, Le Catalan,[1] a first-class-only French (SNCF) Rapide train that had been in operation since 1955 but running only between Geneva and the stations nearest the Spanish-French border, connecting with a second-class-only "autorail" trainset to and from Barcelona. The national railway network of Spain, Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), was using Iberian gauge for all of its main lines, while those of France and Switzerland use standard gauge. As a result of this break-of-gauge, train journeys between Geneva and Barcelona consisted of two separate parts, with travelers having to change[5] from a French to a Spanish train or vice versa at the border—at Portbou (alternatively written as Port Bou) on southbound trains and at Cerbère on northbound trains.[6] In 1968, this was resolved with the introduction of the Talgo III RD trainsets, which featured variable gauge wheelsets.[7] At Portbou station,[1] the wheel spacing of each passenger carriage was adjusted by a gauge changer for the difference in gauge, and passengers no longer had to change trains.[1][2] After successful test runs,[8] the Catalan was extended from Port Bou to Barcelona as a through train on 1 June 1969, becoming the Catalan Talgo and upgraded to a Trans Europ Express (TEE).[1] Most other rail journeys through this border crossing continued to require a change of train at Cerbère station or at Port Bou,[1] as most trains did not use Talgo III RD trainsets.
- ^ a b c d e f "Stop Press" (changes taking effect). Cooks Continental Timetable (June 1969 edition), p. 6; also pp. 71, 106, 236. London: Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.
- ^ a b España en el Trans Europ Express. (PDF) (in Spanish) Vía Libre, la revista del ferrocarril, No. 67 (July 1969), pp. 4–5. Linked from this page on the website of Via Libre magazine, dated 15 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
trains d'europewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ TEE, p. 18.
- ^ La Légende des TEE, p. 274.
- ^ Cooks Continental Timetable (July 1968 edition), pp. 236, 238. Thomas Cook & Son, Ltd.
- ^ De un sueño a la alta velocidad, p. 74.
- ^ De un sueño a la alta velocidad, pp. 81–82.