Spanish railway news – Page 11
-
In depthSpain: ‘Basque Y’ inches ahead
Located in a mountainous area presenting formidable engineering challenges, the Y-shaped 1 435 mm gauge high speed network linking San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao in Spain’s Basque region has been designed to handle both passenger and freight trains. Mike Bent reports.
-
NewsRENFE and Talgo present first refurbished Class 730
SPAIN: National operator RENFE has presented the first of 14 Class 730 electro-diesel gauge changing trainsets to undergo a mid-life refurbishment in a €11m programme which is being undertaken at Talgo’s Las Matas works. The Class 730s are rebuilds from dual-voltage Class 130 electric trainsets, and ...
-
NewsSix options in Santander – Bilbao railway study
SPAIN: The Ministry of Transport, Mobility & the Urban Agenda has published details of its ‘Informative Study’ for a new railway line between Santander and Bilbao. Prepared by WSP Spain-Apia and Sener Ingeniería y Sistemas under a €1∙2m contract awarded in September 2020, the study puts ...
-
Metro Report InternationalBilbao tram extension opens
SPAIN: A 2·3 km extension of Bilbao’s city centre tramway was opened for revenue service on March 25, linking Atxuri and Bolueta.
-
NewsConference calls for more freight routes to and from Spain
SPAIN: Salvador Galve, Chairman of the Railway Commission of the General Council of Industrial Engineers, presented the European Alliance for the Development of Railway Corridors in the Iberian Peninsula initiative at a conference held in Madrid on March 9. According to Galve, less than 4% of ...
-
NewsMainRail to digitalise ADIF maintenance records
SPAIN: Aldesa Group company Coalvi and Rover Rail have selected the MainRailMT digital platform for tracking and asset condition and managing maintenance tasks in real time. The two companies will deploy the technology to support their contract to maintain more than 2 700 km of ADIF’s ...
-
NewsSpain to create single transport accident investigation body
SPAIN: The government is currently drafting legislation to establish a single transport accident investigation body, combining the responsibilities of the three commissions currently in charge of investigating maritime, civil aviation and railway accidents.
-
Metro Report InternationalCamp de Tarragona tram plan
SPAIN: Catalan transport operator FGC has called tenders for a €1·9m, 18-month contract to produce specifications for the first phase of the proposed Tramvia del Camp de Tarragona light rail line. This would run 14·6 km through the municipalities of Cambrils, Salou and Vila-seca, using the ...
-
NewsAlgeciras picks Fesava to provide port rail services
SPAIN: Algeciras port authority ABPA has awarded Fesava a two-year contract to provide rail services at its Isla Verde Interior and Exterior terminals. The port rail network was previously operated by ADIF under an agreement with APBA and Puertos del Estado, with rail freight operations managed ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMillimetre-wave radio data transfer trialled on the Madrid Metro
SPAIN: Metro de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have tested a millimetre-wave radio system supplied by Israeli company Radwin to support data transfer between trains and between train and the lineside. Radwin said the tests showed that its TerraBridge mmWave radio technology can provide a ...
-
NewsDetecting earthquakes with ADIF’s optic fibre network
SPAIN: ADIF has signed an agreement for the Instituto Geográfico Nacional to use its optic fibre network to gather and analyse data about earthquakes, which are relatively common in the Iberian Peninsula. To date, ADIF’s 16 000 km dark optic fibre network has not been made ...
-
NewsILSA to add a third partner
SPAIN: Intermodalidad de Levante, the high speed joint venture between Trenitalia and Air Nostrum, is poised to agree a deal with Globalvia under which it would become the third partner in the business. Globalvia, a motorway and urban transport infrastructure concessionaire owned by three investment funds, ...
-
NewsSpanish EMUs to have ABB traction batteries
SPAIN: Stadler has awarded ABB a US$80m contract to supply traction converters and roof-mounted lithium-ion batteries for 59 double-deck electric multiple-units which RENFE has ordered for use on Madrid and Barcelona commuter services. The EMUs will operate primarily using 3 kV DC overhead, but will be ...
-
Metro Report InternationalWork to begin on Barcelona tram extension
SPAIN: Work on the long-planned link between the isolated Trambesòs and Trambaix light rail networks in Barcelona is expected to begin in the second week of March, following the award of construction contracts for the first half of the route. Following a series of feasibility studies, ...
-
NewsMallorca EMU contract awarded
SPAIN: Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca has ordered five four-car electric multiple-units from CAF for use on its metre-gauge routes from Palma de Mallorca to Inca, Sa Pobla and Manacor. Scheduled to enter service in 2024, the 1·5 kV DC EMUs will be based on units that ...
-
Metro Report InternationalTenders called to extend Madrid Line 11 into the city centre
SPAIN: Madrid municipality has called tenders for construction of a 7 km extension of Metro de Madrid’s Line 11 from Plaza Elíptica, where it has an interchange with Line 6, to Conde de Casal, where it would again meet Line 6. There would be four intermediate ...
-
NewsTesting starts in Madrid’s third cross-city tunnel
SPAIN: Trial running began through the third cross-city tunnel between Madrid Chamartín and Madrid Atocha over the weekend of February 5-6. Rolling stock chosen for the trials consisted of a pair of S112 Talgo trainsets refitted for national operator RENFE’s low-cost Avlo services.
-
NewsTalgo to begin fuel cell loco trials
SPAIN: Trials are to begin shortly with the TPH2 fuel cell test locomotive developed by Talgo as part of its hydrogen traction programme. This forms part of a low-carbon research and development strategy which is being supported by a green hydrogen supply alliance and financing from ...
-
NewsGreen hydrogen partnership targets rail sector
SPAIN: CAF and electricity company Iberdrola have signed an agreement to co-operate to promote the use of ‘green’ hydrogen to replace diesel power on railways which would be difficult or expensive to electrify. The companies aim to offer a comprehensive package of technologies, including rolling stock, ...
-
NewsStadler rolls out ADIF AV rescue locomotive
SPAIN: Stadler Valencia has rolled out the first of 22 diesel-electric locomotives for inspection, rescue and snow-clearing operations ordered by ADIF AV.