Spain signs a Memorandum of Understanding with India to collaborate in the development of rail transport and infrastructure

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, accompanies the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, on his trip to India (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Railways of the Republic of India to boost collaboration in rail transport and infrastructure development.

The document, which endorses the good relations between the two countries, was signed in Vadodara within the framework of the institutional trip of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to India, on which he is accompanied by the Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente.

The areas of cooperation of the MoU, which is initially valid for five years and can be automatically extended annually, focus on the development of freight and passenger rail transport, promoting areas of collaboration in the planning, deployment, operation and maintenance of high-speed and conventional rail, and exploring the optimisation of existing infrastructures and intermodality.

These are areas in which Spain and Spanish companies have a great deal of experience, given that they are at the forefront of international industry. Spain notably has the second largest high-speed network in the world, connecting 70% of the population.

The areas of collaboration mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding include:

1. Planning, design, development, construction, commissioning and operation of infrastructures, stations, railway facilities and equipment for long-distance networks (conventional, high-speed and high-speed), and the integration of services running on them through interoperability, enabling traffic on different track gauges, optimising the benefits of investments in high-speed lines with improvements to existing lines and promoting intermodality.

2. Management and operation of rail transport and rail services and maintenance of trains, with a particular focus on improving safety.

3. Support in the process of selection, deployment and integration of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on-board and trackside equipment.

4. Promotion of training initiatives to strengthen vocational training in the field of development and maintenance of railway infrastructure and facilities, as well as railway operation and traffic management.

Within the framework of the MoU, Spain and India will be able to cooperate in the following ways:

1. Exchange of good practices and development of pilot projects related to the areas mentioned in the previous paragraph.

2. Technical advice and assistance in the development and implementation of projects.

3. Research, technological development and innovation.

4. Organisation of congresses, meetings and seminars.

5. Training and expert exchange programmes.

Non official translation