Not only did the arrival of high-speed in our country mean a paradigm shift in terms of mobility and transport. It also brought with it an important international projection of the Spanish railway and its industry, placing it on the international scene. The Spanish industry is currently a global benchmark in terms of infrastructure, innovation, and sustainability, driven to a large extent by this high-speed whose 30th anniversary we are now celebrating. Not surprisingly, it is present and has imported its know-how to countries around the world. Today, the Spanish railway industry is present in the high-speed projects of countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, or Turkey.
“There is no doubt that Spain today has more and better infrastructures. Our high-speed network is a benchmark, an example to be followed by many countries. It is, in short, one of our best cover letters and it places us at the forefront of the sector at an international level”, states Pedro Fortea, General Director of Mafex.
And he continues: “Let us remember that our high-speed network was a catalyst for the process of modernisation of our country, as well as a boost to the territorial and social cohesion of our regions. But in addition to revolutionising the Spanish transport market, the implementation of high-speed accelerated and consolidated the development of a powerful railway industrial fabric that today is solidly based on three main pillars: innovation, internationalisation, and the knowledge and skills acquired”.
This growth of the Spanish railway industry at an international level is currently evident in the fact that it is at the world’s forefront of know-how, experience, and technology. Many years of work and projects have helped it to obtain that benchmarking and to have a reputation for excellence, rigour, and professionalism.
In the case of high-speed, as Pedro Fortea recalls, this specific knowledge initially resulted from the integration of different technologies, some of them from other European countries, but integrated thanks to Spanish engineering and construction companies.
“Little by little we were consolidating the existing industry at that time, and developing more and more of our own national business fabric, until placing ourselves in the present where we can boast of being one of the few countries in the world with a leading industry in the railway design, rolling stock manufacture, signaling, construction, operation and maintenance”, he claims.
In fact, the developments of Spanish companies contribute to a greater digitalisation of the logistics chain and associated operations, the real-time traceability of shipments, as well as an optimisation of tracks and infrastructures and the renewal of rolling stock, with an average life of 25 years, which needs to be adapted to the new demands of the market. In short, Spanish companies work to create quality environments that are safer, more comfortable, reliable and, in addition, respectful of the environment.
The Spanish railway industry has reached such dimensions that make it a key and driving sector for both our economy and our country’s image. The figures speak for themselves: 30,000 direct jobs, a turnover of more than 15 billion euros (more than 8% of industrial GDP), average investments of 4% of its turnover in R + D + i and a booster to export for small and medium-sized enterprises through the driving industries, whose export has in some cases reached 90%.
“Our companies have become a global benchmark in the design, construction and maintenance of railway networks equipped with the latest technologies, which allow us to talk about well-being and social cohesion, sustainability and safety. Without the railway, in all its variants, as the backbone of sustainable, connected, and safe mobility, we will not be able to respond to today’s demographic, social and environmental challenges. These are challenges for which the industry is prepared, just as it was 30 years ago, when we launched one of the most admired high-speed networks in the world,” concludes Fortea.
