FH class C80

The FH class C80 and class C80-A are a class of electric multiple units currently operating on the Metro Cercadas commuter rail network. The class C80 was designed by (BN) and built at the  works in,. The initial batch of 96 C80 sets were delivered between 1983 and 1987 for lines B and T, while an additional batch of 43 C80-A sets for line S and Herendish National Railways regional services were built between 1989 and 1992.

All regional C80-A trainsets were converted into suburban C80-As starting in 2007, with the introduction of the class C03 on regional routes. The entire fleet of C80 and C80-As are gradually being replaced by class C18 sets.

Design
The class C80 is usually formed in a single-deck three-car consist with each car consisting of three manually operated doors. The outer two cars are non-powered driving trailers, while the middle car is a non-control motor car with a single pantograph.

All C80 and C80-A trains feature 1-2 transverse seating, with only former suburban C80-As equipped with steel overhead luggage racks. The initial C80 sets are numbered 80 001-80 096, while the C80-A sets are numbered 80 097-80 139.

History
After the completion of the Central Loop of the Metro Cercadas, the Metro saw increased ridership which the class 3400 and newly built class S74 were unable to cope with. Moreover, the S74 trainsets could only be used on high-demand commuter routes due to their large capacity. To resolve these problems, the Herendish National Railways (FH) ordered an initial batch of 41 single-deck electric commuter trains from in October 1980, with 55 more of these trains ordered in 1982.

Sorefame contracted the Belgian rolling stock manufacturer to design the new C80 trains. The trains were assembled at Sorefame’s factory at in  and the first C80 set arrived at the Cercadas depot in January 1983. The first few C80 trainsets began service on line T in April 1983, followed by line B in June 1984.

Following the success of the C80 trains, the FH ordered a further 43 trainsets under class C80-A in 1987 to increase capacity on line S and FH Regional services. The first C80-A was delivered the following year and entered service on line S in May 1989.

In 2007, a conversion program to suburban trains for C80-A sets on FH Regional services began, with the last set cascaded to line S in 2011. Around the same time between 2012 and 2016, the remaining C80 sets underwent a mid-life refurbishment program at in,  to extend their lifespan by 20 years.

All 139 trainsets are slated to be replaced by class C18 trains by 2029.