INNOVATION IS THE STAR SYMBOL OF THE SPANISH RAILWAY INDUSTRY. THE NUMEROUS ADVANCES MADE IN RECENT YEARS IN ALL SEGMENTS OF ITS ACTIVITY HAVE ENABLED THESE COMPANIES TO PROVIDE THE MOST CUTTING-EDGE SOLUTIONS TO ACHIEVE A SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, EFFICIENT, AND DIGITALISED TRANSPORT.
The technological contribution of the Spanish railway industry has had a very positive impact on the drive for state-of-the-art, efficient, and sustainable transport networks. The importance that its companies give to R&D is evident in the many advances they have introduced in the market. These solutions are already applied in all segments of each project, from the design and building phase to the operation maintenance and state-of-the-art rolling stock.
In addition, they are also prominent in innovation projects such as Shift2Rail, with which Europe wants to design the train of the future. Other fields where they bring great advances are signalling, safety, automation, digitalisation or in the development of innovations such as Hyperloop or hydrogen trains.
“Spanish technological advances are among the most avant-garde in the world.”
THE SPANISH KNOW-HOW, VERY PRESENT IN SHITF2RAIL
Europe seeks to speed up progress to address transport challenges. Among its proposals is the R&D programme Shitf2Rail, where Spanish know-how is very remarkable. Eleven Spanish companies and entities are partners and collaborators of this platform responsible for defining the new unique railway space of the European Union. In addition, a large representation of this country leads the projects of the different working groups (universities, foundations, technology centres and several companies from different subsectors) provide their knowledge to achieve the objectives. These include increasing the capacity of this system by 50%, the levels of reliability and punctuality, as well as reducing the costs of infrastructure and rolling stock by 50%.
The most outstanding projects include 4securail, Connective Assets4Rail, Astrail, Attracktive, Carbodin, Co-active, Cohesive, Connect, , Destinate, Dynafreight, Emulradio4Rail, Etalon, Extensive, Fair Stations, FFL4E, Fine, FLEXIRAIL, FR8hub, Gate4Rail, Gearbodies, Gof4r, Hipernex, Impact, In2rail, In2mart, In2Stempo, In2track, IP4MaaS, IT2Rail, Linx4rail, Locate, Maasive, Mat4Rail, Momit, My-track, Near2050, Nextgear, Mistral, Opeus, Optima, Performingrail, Pinta, Pivot, Recet4Rail, Roll2rail, Run4Rail, Safe4Rail, S-code, Shift2MaaS, Smartrail, Stream, Taurus, Transit, Vite and X2Rail.
The areas of action of Spanish companies in these research programmes focus on aspects particularly important for the future of the railway. These include, track, energy efficiency, cybersecurity, IT solutions, unified electrification systems, signalling, positioning, predictive maintenance, or development of the different technical specifications. They also collaborate in fields such as the European Hyperloop ecosystem, efficient and high-capacity infrastructure and rolling stock, intelligent maintenance, energy and noise control, technologies for automatic operation, MaaS, etc.
DIGITALISATION AND AUTOMATION
Digital transformation brings with it an improvement of services on the part of operators. Aware of the many advantages of implementing new technologies in railway transport, Spanish companies work to introduce the most cutting-edge advances.
The technology that allows the operation of driverless trains developed by Spanish companies, for example, enables the country to have the longest automated line in Europe. In addition, they rank in the top positions in the constant search for new advances that optimise railway transport systems.
One of the great challenges where the Spanish experience is being key is in the implementation and development of CBTC in metro lines, compatible with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) signalling standard. It is a technological leap that greatly increases aspects such as the safety and performance of the lines.
GREAT INNOVATIONS IN ROLLING STOCK
Spain has large rolling stock manufacturers and factories where the world’s most advanced trains are designed and exported for all types of networks.
Those companies are behind the most innovative changes that have been introduced in recent years. Among them, concepts such as the tram-train, which efficiently combines rail with tram and thus becomes the ideal means to connect different municipalities with each other. This solution is already exported to many countries.
Other notable developments include new high-speed platforms or catenary-free tramway traffic systems.
In addition to these new rolling stock concepts, the Spanish industry has provided numerous proposals to achieve a more efficient and less polluting transport. It is worth mentioning the systems for the use of regenerative braking that reduce costs and optimise energy consumption.
A COUNTRY THAT ACCELERATES STARTUPS
The constant boost to R&D is one of the objectives of startup accelerators linked to the Spanish railway sector. The objective of this business support is to keep companies at the forefront of the constant search for disruptive technology solutions
HYDROGEN
The use of renewable energy in the railway sector is booming. The Spanish industry already has prototypes for the so-called “hydrogen train”, which will be ready in 2023. This technology that is defined as “green, innovative and efficient” will replace diesel locomotives and help improve sustainable mobility. In addition, the European Commission has selected a project led by Spanish companies that will allow the development of a railway prototype also powered by hydrogen. This initiative relies on substantial financing from European funds through the H2020 programme. The goal, to obtain clean electrical energy from this chemical element and make the trains 100% emission-free.
MaaS PLATFORMS
The revolution in public transport is based on the new concept “MaaS” that understands mobility as a service. In this great change, Spain has also joined the new challenges that the technological transformation and new passenger demands entail.
The country already has digital platforms such as that of the public operator, known as Renfe as a Service, which will allow to plan and manage any journey in national territory between 29 cities. The applied technologies will allow to integrate in one place all the mobility options available, in addition to other services such as accommodation and leisure so that any national trip can be planned very easily.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND RAILWAY TRACK
Participation in mega projects has made Spanish companies overcome great challenges and achieve constant technological achievements.
It has been possible, for example, to minimise the effects caused by extreme climate conditions on the network in arid areas, to develop online technology for the management of linear projects, to digitalise infrastructures through BIM. With regards to the railway track, they have also numerous contributions, such as the lateral wind prediction and detection system or the sleeper prototype that minimises ballast projections.
HYPERLOOP
The transport of the future explores new mobility alternatives such as the “Hyperloop”. The Spanish counterparty working on making this zero-emission propulsion system a reality has just presented in Valencia the prototype of the future vehicle to be used in this system.
This train, capable of reaching 1,300 kilometres per hour, has a silent system made up of a capsule that levitates and travels inside a tube. An alternative focused on efficiently covering routes between 400 and 1,500 kilometres and that has great advantages associated with reducing the cost of infrastructures.
SMART STATIONS
A field where great advances are recorded is in the creation of “smart stations”. There is a plan to connect the 1,500 Adif stations through a hub station from where they will be remotely managed. This centre, the main axis of the Stations Digital Transformation Plan, will also allow to interact with railway companies and travellers.
Apart from this great step, Spanish companies have accelerated their R&D efforts to become the technological partner of transport operators, making this new concept a reality and improving passenger services. These digital proposals include advances in communication and information systems, forecasting, ticketing, signalling, supervisory control, asset management, etc.
