THE European Union’s (EU) Transforming Transport big data research project, which was launched in January and runs through to June 30 2019, is preparing to launch a rail pilot project in Spain as one of 13 pilot schemes in Europe covering all modes of transport.
FRANCE and Spain took control of the international high-speed rail link between both countries on December 21 after the contract with concessionaire TP Ferro was terminated following the company’s liquidation in September.
A consortium of Ineco, Spain, its Mexican subsidiary Inecomex, Spain’s infrastructure manager Adif, and Cal y Mayor y Asociados, Mexico, have been awarded a contract to supervise the construction of an extension to Line 12 of the Mexico City metro.
THIS week the European Commission (EC) ordered Adif, the Spanish infrastructure manager, to return €141m to the government that it was granted for the construction of a high-speed railway test centre in southern Spain designed to be used for trains at speeds up to 520km/h because it was never built.
SPAIN's high-speed rail infrastructure manager Adif-AV registered a net loss of €361.3m in 2015, a 67% increase on the previous year and 28% over its own fiscal year budget, according to an official income statement presented to the Spanish government.
SPAIN's track authority Adif has awarded a €61m contract to Thales to maintain signalling and train control equipment on the Madrid - Cordoba -Seville, La Sagra - Toledo and Cordoba - Malaga high-speed lines.
SPANISH infrastructure manager Adif has awarded a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier a €72.7m contract to install and maintain ERTMS on a 56km stretch of Barcelona's Rodalies suburban rail network.
A consortium of Alstom, CAF, and Siemens has begun the work to install ERTMS on the Atlantic Corridor in Galicia, the 155km-long high-speed line which connects A Coruña with Santiago and Vigo.
DESPITE Spain's economic woes, the country's love affair with high-speed trains is far from over. As IRJ went to press, the candidates best positioned to win the general election on December 20 all had one thing in common: a commitment to continue the massive investment in the AVE network while promising to keep a tight control over the public deficit in 2016.
RENFE started commercial service in the Olmedo - Zamora section of the Madrid - Galicia high - speed line on December 17 with a single return service which will cut travel time for the 232km Madrid - Zamora trip by 22 minutes to 1h 33min.
