Dear friends,
This year we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Spanish high-speed. A landmark date that highlights the steps that the railway industry has taken in terms of innovation, technological challenges and successful achievement of major infrastructure works.
Since the first line thus characterized between Madrid and Seville, has been commissioned, developments, pioneering systems, latest generation rolling stock, as well as highly qualified consultancy, engineering services and turnkey projects have been delivered. Not forgetting the fact of having generated over the course of these years highly qualified human resources, also capable of facing the most demanding and advanced railway projects anywhere in the world. As outcome, this Spanish high-speed model has become an international reference. All these are detailed in Section “Background”, where, the Mafex’s partners also explain the important role they had in implementing this network, which is already the second biggest in the world, with 3.200 km, just behind China.
The Section “Destination”, in this number focuses on the large connection lines between the United States and Canada. A review including the most significant corridors, the projects for boosting rail freight traffic, as well as the improvement of passenger lines and the most relevant high-speed projects, such as “California High Speed”.
To this is added the Association’s contemporaneousness, on which we will provide more details in the Section “Mafex informs”. Among the most pointed out news, the incorporation of two new partners, Tecnivial and Icon Multimedia, whom we warmly welcome.
Moreover, the awarded contracts and recent news from 15 partner companies, as well as the eight major technological innovations that we present in the Section “Innovation” deserve a special attention. A proof of the Spanish railway sector commitment towards the I+D and its contribution in developing international projects.