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TheFEVE 1900 series (formally theRenfe 619 series since 2012[1]) is ameter-gauge locomotive, manufactured byFerrocarriles Españoles de Vía Estrecha (FEVE) and currently owned byRenfe Cercanías AM ofSpain. It was the firstdual-mode locomotive used on Spanish railroads. Seventeen locomotives were built in total, originally rebuilt from withdrawnFEVE 1000 series [es;fr] locomotives. The locomotives were built for both freight and passenger services, including thetourist trainTranscantábrico.
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As a result ofSpain'sMinistry of Development 2000–2007 infrastructure plan, railroad infrastructure was being upgraded.[2]: 5 FEVE was modernizing theirrolling stock;[3] FEVE had modernized the2400 and2600 series diesel multiple units, as well as the3500 and3600 series electric multiple units. In addition, six freight locomotives built by the French manufacturerAlstom received new engines.[2]: 5 and had invested over €17,500,000 in 2002 (equivalent toUS$34,300,000 in 2024) to build new locomotives.[2]: 4 [4]: 32 TheFEVE 1000 series [es;fr] – a diesel locomotive built from 1955 to 1967 by Alstom[5] – had been withdrawn from service, as they were becoming too old to operate, and were not powerful enough to haul FEVE's steel trains.[4]: 32 FEVE repurposed the parts of the withdrawn 1000 series locomotives to build the 1900 series locomotives.[6][5][4]: 32
The 1900 series locomotives were developed by the FEVE Rolling Stock Department[a] as adual-mode locomotive;[2]: 4 [7][b] they could run on electricity fromoverhead lines throughpantographs, or from an onboarddiesel engine.[8][2]: 4 [9][10] Several companies assisted FEVE in the production of the series 1900 locomotives, includingSiemens,Caterpillar, Suncove,Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles,Sunsundegui, andSAB WABCO.[2]: 4 [4]: 32 [11]: 11 The 1000 series locomotives were fitted with a new body, new pneumatic and electrical equipment, and Siemenstraction motors.[4]: 32 The locomotives were intended for both freight services and for thetourist trainTranscantábrico;[2]: 4–5 several locomotives were painted in the latter's two-tone blue-whitelivery.[12][6][2]: 4
Seventeen locomotives were built in total.[13] The locomotives were built for two orders; the first order was for ten locomotives. The first locomotive, numbered 1901, was built and registered in September 2002.[6][2]: 4 The locomotive underwent test runs inValmaseda andAsturias, and entered service in December of the same year.[2]: 4 The remaining nine locomotives of the first order, numbered 1902–1910, were built at the Sunsundegui workshops inAlsasua, and entered service in 2003.[9]: 3 [6][2]: 4 [11]: 8 A second and final order of seven locomotives, which were numbered 1911–1917, were built and registered from June to July 2004.[6][9]
In 2002, the 1900 series locomotives – the first dual-mode locomotives used on Spanish railroads[4][2]: 4 – had reintroduced electric locomotives for freight services on Spanish meter-gauge railroads.[10] In 2003, the Spanish rail networkEuskoTren had virtually all of its 180 km of railroad lineselectrified. EuskoTren had originally ceased their freight services in 1985, and ran exclusively passenger services.[10] The locomotives hauled coils from the Acerailarolling mill inAvilés, Asturias, to Lasarte station inGuipúzcoa, as part of an agreement between FEVE and Euskotren.[2]: 4–5
The locomotives have contributed to reducingenvironmental pollution andnoise pollution,[14][11]: 8 specifically for freight services through urban areas.[2]: 4 The locomotives would use their diesel mode during day services, and their electric mode during night services, when lowerelectricity rates were available.[2]: 4 In 2011, the locomotives were upgraded to switch between diesel or electric modes while moving.[4]: 32 [11][c]
The locomotives have been used for several tourist train services, including theTranscantábrico Gran Lujo, a 14-car train with sevensleeping carriages;[15]: 76 [16][17]Transcantábrico Clásico, a 13-car train with seven sleeping carriages;[16] and theTren Costa Verde Express, a 13-car train.[17] In addition, the locomotives have also been used for the special servicesTren de la Biosfera andTren del Bajo Nalón.[18]
On December 31, 2012, FEVE was absorbed intoRenfe Operadora andAdif, with Renfe managing rolling stock and maintenance, and Adif managing infrastructure and operations.[19] The following year,Renfe Feve – the new division of Renfe which operated the meter-gauge railways[1] – renumbered FEVE's rolling stock to matchUIC identification and simply train monitoring done by Adif.[1] The original number for the series, 1900, was changed to the series's corresponding UIC number, 619.[1][d] The original number for the series is still commonly used.[20][4]: 32 [6]
Since the locomotives were introduced, they had gradually been taken out of service. From 2007 to 2012, all 17 locomotives remained in service. In 2013, 14 locomotives were in service.[20] In October 2024, seven locomotives were in service.[4]: 32 Two locomotives had beencannibalized, with the remainder being taken out of service in March 2022, awaiting sale.[4]: 32 [6] On March 28, 2025, locomotive 1913 – one of the locomotives for sale at the time – was bought byFerrovial Construcción [es], a railroad construction company.[6] As of September 2025,[update] seven locomotives operate forRenfe Viajeros [es], a division ofRenfe Cercanías AM that operates tourist passenger services.[6]
† Operating for Renfe Viajeros‡ Operating for Ferrovial Construcción* Awaiting sale
| FEVENo. | UICNo. | Rebuilt from | Depot | Registered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 92 71 3 619-001-8 | 1025 | Santander | 2002/06/09 | Cannibalized |
| 1902 | 92 71 3 619-002-6 | 1026 | Balmaseda | 2003 | In service† |
| 1903 | 92 71 3 619-003-4 | 1029 | El Berrón | 2003 | Not in service* |
| 1904 | 92 71 3 619-004-2 | 1023 | Balmaseda | 2003 | Not in service* |
| 1905 | 92 71 3 619-005-9 | 1054 | El Berrón | 2003 | In service† |
| 1906 | 92 71 3 619-006-7 | 1031 | El Berrón | 2003 | Not in service* |
| 1907 | 92 71 3 619-007-5 | 1021 | Balmaseda | 2003 | Not in service* |
| 1908 | 92 71 3 619-008-3 | 1028 | Santander | 2003 | Cannibalized |
| 1909 | 92 71 3 619-009-1 | 1061 | Santander | 2003 | Not in service* |
| 1910 | 92 71 3 619-010-9 | 1063 | Santander | 2003 | In service† |
| 1911 | 92 71 3 619-011-7 | El Berrón | 2004/06/11 | Not in service* | |
| 1912 | 92 71 3 619-012-5 | El Berrón | 2004/06/18 | Not in service* | |
| 1913 | 92 71 3 619-013-3 | El Berrón | 2004/06/25 | In service‡ | |
| 1914 | 92 71 3 619-014-1 | Santander | 2004/07/02 | In service† | |
| 1915 | 92 71 3 619-015-8 | Balmaseda | 2004/07/09 | In service† | |
| 1916 | 92 71 3 619-016-6 | Santander | 2004/07/16 | In service† | |
| 1917 | 92 71 3 619-017-4 | 1062 | Balmaseda | 2004/07/23 | In service† |
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