THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY, HELD ON 29TH MARCH, WAS PRESIDED OVER BY PORTUGAL’S MINISTER OF PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE, PEDRO NUNO SANTO AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, ADINA VĂLEAN, IN ADDITION TO HAVING THE REPRESENTATION FROM THE MAIN PLAYERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY SECTOR.
MAFEX, THE ASSOCIATION OF THE SPANISH RAILWAY INDUSTRY, WILL PROMOTE IN SPAIN INITIATIVES PROVIDED FOR IN THE AGENDA OF THIS COMMEMORATIVE DATE.
The event, held on 29th March, was presided over by Portugal’s Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Nuno Santo and the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean.
The opening ceremony served to highlight the role this means of transport will play in the European Union’s mobility plans in the coming years, as the backbone to become the first emission-free continent.
Mafex will boost the European Year of Rail in our country
Mafex, the association of the Spanish railway industry and its associated companies, will promote in our country initiatives provided for in the agenda of this commemorative date.
The activities to be carried out this year around this means of transport aim to promote a “green, comfortable and safe” way of travelling in line with the European Green Deal. The programme includes an intensive awareness campaign on the European cross-border dimension of railway transport and the increase in its contribution to the EU economy, industry, and society. The agenda includes a complete calendar of events, such as the Rail Live! International conference-fair from 30th November to 1st December at IFEMA (Madrid) the benchmark railway event in Spain, as well as discussions around the present and future of the sector, awards, and training sessions.
For Mafex, 2021 is a key moment to highlight the dimension of the railway and its great contribution to combating climate change and to promote sustainable mobility based on the mode of transport with the greatest environmental, safety and organisational benefits of the country.
An industry with a great role in the economy
The role of this sector is also key in our country, where this industry has a very prominent role in the economy. An example of this are the figures of Mafex, which is composed of 93 partners that currently represent in aggregated form and in recent years, 82% of the Spanish railway export with a railway turnover of more than 5,5 billion euros and more than 27,000 jobs.
In addition, the business fabric of the sector is at the forefront of R&D and has a well-known portfolio of large-scale awarded projects worldwide.