The international market chooses Spanish experience in PPP projects

THE SPANISH RAILWAY INDUSTRY HAS A PRESENCE IN NUMEROUS RAILWAY PUBLIC-PRIVATE MODEL PROJECTS. AN INCREASINGLY MORE ACTIVE ROLE THANKS TO ITS KNOW-HOW, CAPACITY AND COMPETITIVENESS IN CONCESSION MANAGEMENT AND TURNKEY PROJECTS.

The international market for infrastructure projects under the PPP modality is increasingly active. The need for administrations to start up new networks in tandem with industry has grown exponentially in recent years.
In this collaborative process, Spanish companies and their subsidiaries continue to display their capacity and competitiveness. Thanks to the worldwide experience accumulated in the management of projects of high technical complexity, both concessions and turnkey, they have a solid base to adapt to the requirements and particularities of each client.

This industry not only covers the phases of engineering, construction and supply of systems and rolling stock, but is also entrusted their running.
The opening to competition, as a result of privatisation, concession, liberalisation or deregulation, opens up major business opportunities in the near future. A backdrop in which Spanish groups show their strength with the trust placed in them by numerous entities and transport administrations around the world.

In terms of concessions, the examples to date are multiple. In South America, in the Lima Metropolitan Railway (Peru), the design, construction, running and maintenance are being carried out under the PPP regime for Line 2 between Ate and Callao and the branch on Line 4. Spanish companies are also present in the Colombian Atlantic rail network, and in the most significant railway concession in all of America; the Mexican Suburban Railway, which involves the construction, operation and maintenance of the suburban network for a term of thirty years.

Another country that relies on Spanish industry in this area is Brazil, with turnkey projects such as the manufacture of 40 units of seven modules and the implementation of the Cuiabá tram signalling system.
They are joined by public-private collaboration in Riel Metropolitan Railway, in Guatemala City or the fast train from San José, in Costa Rica.

In North America, Spanish experience also comes to the fore in different public-private partnerships. In the United States, the concession of the automated train of the Los Angeles International Airport, with a 25-year operational tender, is proof of the foregoing. In Canada, the design and works under concession of the Ottawa Light Rail Network (Confederation Line), amongst others, have been carried out.

In Asia, a significant turnkey project is the Kaohsiung light rail (rolling stock, signalling, electrification, ticketing and integration of all subsystems), the extension of the Manila Metro L1 (LRT-1 Cavite Extension) or the Almaty Metropolitan Railway, in Kazakhstan.

In Oceania, Spanish companies have been awarded the contract for rail and mining services in Australia to increase the size of the RailConnect fleet in New South Wales or the supply of a turnkey maintenance workshop railway in the Pilbara region. Also noteworthy is the contract for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance until 2030 of the Sydney light rail network.
In Europe, many standout projects have also been undertaken. In Britain, the Wales & Borders rail network contract and the development of the South Wales Metropolitan Railway has a Spanish stake in the winning consortium, with the commercial running of this included until 2033.
To this system is added the operation and maintenance of the Dockland Light Railway in London and the metropolitan area of Manchester (Metrolink). Furthermore, Spanish industry is involved in the construction one of the sections of the Follo Line that will link Oslo with Ski. This is the largest of the four EPC contracts for the project, design and construction of the longest railway tunnels in Scandinavia.