Spanish Experience

Spain has provided an excellent benchmark for a strategic infrastructure and transportation plan for North America

President Obama has cited Spain as a country with [high-speed railway] systems worth emulating. (May 30, 2009).

In 1992, Spain opened its first high speed line from Madrid to Seville.  The Spanish high speed network has grown rapidly since. That growth required a vision to provide the necessary investment in the transportation infrastructure and rolling stock.  At that time, the decision to build a high speed line was controversial.

By 2005, there was no doubt that the benefits of high speed rail had built the case for further development. So much so, that Spain’s governmental investment in infrastructure allocated 48% of its budget (121,210 million Euros out of 248,000 million Euros) for over 15 years. This is part of the Spain’s Strategic Infrastructure and Transport Plan (PEIT) for 2005 through 2020.

Currently, Spain is third in the world in length of high speed lines in operation. Spain’s Infrastructure and Transportation Master Plan is coming to fruition, as Spain will become the second country in the world with the most high speed rail miles only after China; by 2010 there will be 1,386 route miles in operation.

Spain’s government is committed to high speed rail. Different government

Under a plan devised by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain will have 10,000 kilometers (more than 6,200 miles) of high-speed track by 2020 (http://www.descubrelaaltavelocidad.com/default_en.aspx ).  

 

PEIT – (Estratégico de Infraestructuras y Transporte) Strategic Infrastructures and Transport Plan was developed by Spain’s Ministerio de Fomento (Ministry of Promotion) to provide a tool to address social policy and economic objectives. The plan defines the guidelines for actions over short and long term (to 2020) with an overall intent to develop and ensure infrastructure stability and transportation policy.  The concise and well developed Strategic Infrastructures and Transport Plan (PEIT) can be a benchmark tool for your state or rail organization.

In 2005, as a first step in the improving the railway market, Spain’s RENFE which is responsible for managing, maintaining and building the entire railway infrastructure in Spain was divided into two separate entities:

• ADIF: Infrastructure Manager
• RENFE Operadora: Train operator for Short/Medium Distance, High Speed/Long Distance, Goods/Logistics,    Manufacturing and Maintenance.

 

 

 

ADIF
    
ADIF (Infrastructure Administrator) dif, the Administrator of Railway Infrastructures, is a state-owned company that answers to the Ministerio de Fomento. Adif plays a leading role in promoting the railway sector, working towards converting it into the ideal mode of transport and facilitating access to the infrastructure under fair conditions.
                        

RENFE

RENFE (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles), transformed into the new RENFE Operator. It is run as a private company, although publicly-owned and competing on equal opportunities with new operators that have now appeared in the free market. Competition and private initiative are now in place within the operator’s market, which  Induces innovation and efficiency. High-speed rail is a profitable operation that constantly
introduces the latest technology available and best business practices.

For a map of High Speed Railways in Spain, Click here (http://www.technologyreview.com/microsites/spain/multimedia/trans_3/1.aspx )

North America has been a leader in the development and technology. We have found our country significantly behind others in passenger train transportation. We have an unprecedented opportunity to improve and develop our infrastructure and to initiate the use of high speed passenger service!

Call us today, so that we can help you with your high speed rail development. 206-748-6140, Extension 6.

*Calculated at the June, 2009 conversion of $1.40 per Euro

DESIGNATED HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDORS:
Map of designated corridors: http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/hsr_corridors_2009.pdf

• California Corridor
• Pacific Northwest Corridor
• South Central Corridor
• Gulf Coast Corridor
• Chicago Hub Network
• Florida Corridor
• Southeast Corridor
• Keystone Corridor
• Empire Corridor
• Northern New England Corridor