THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO RAIL AS A KEY ELEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY SYSTEM, BOTH WITHIN SPAIN, WITH STABILITY IN PLANS AND INVESTMENTS, AS WELL AS ABROAD, SUPPORTING THE INTERESTS OF SPANISH INDUSTRY.
Everything we are doing domestically is inextricably linked to our international activity, and even more so with regard to the railway industry. I am well aware that this is an area where the development of projects in our territory, which we are providing with the required stability in plans and investments, is essential to take advantage of opportunities abroad.
We are conducting a real revolution in rail in terms of both infrastructure and rolling stock. In infrastructure alone, last year we invested twice as much in modernising and developing railways as in 2017; and in the first five months of this year, we have registered record figures, with more than 1,700 million euros executed and more than 2,000 million euros tendered only for railways.
Our bet is the train. It is because rail is the backbone of the sustainable mobility system and, moreover, it is our best product in the international arena; it is our best benchmark.
I have witnessed this during the international trips and visits that have filled my agenda since I took office as Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. There is no doubt that the Spanish railway industry is experiencing a great moment and wherever I go, be it the Baltic countries, Morocco or the Czech Republic, our successful railway model is present in all conversations. We are the example to be followed, the model to be imitated and the most wanted, because we are ‘good, attractive and affordable’.
Along these lines, one of the priorities of my government’s action is to support the internationalisation of the Spanish economy. I am pleased to accept the role of ambassador abroad of our railway companies, remaining entirely at your service. My international agenda has a strong business component and is oriented according to your needs and interests. I will go where business opportunities arise and I will support you where you face difficulties.
For all these reasons, I am particularly pleased to participate in this edition of the Mafex magazine dedicated once again to InnoTrans, the world’s largest event in the railway sector, with the presence of more than 75 Spanish companies. I would like to thank Mafex for its work in coordinating the companies in the Official Spanish Pavilion, with the support of ICEX, which contributes to our industry continuing to be an international reference.