\r\n\t\t\t\t\tIneco technicians for the Adif work base in Hornachuelos (C\u00f3rdoba); from left to right: Alfredo Olivera, Jorge Gago, Francisco Rebollo and Juan Carlos Olivera. \/ PHOTO_ELVIRA VILA\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\nIn December 1991, Ineco collaborated with the Spanish government to prepare the parliamentary appearances of the then Secretary of State Emilio P\u00e9rez Touri\u00f1o on the imminent opening of the line. On 14th April 1992 a maiden trip was made in which part of the government, and representatives of Renfe and the Ministry, the consultancy firms and the Ineco projects drafting team travelled to Seville. The journey lasted two hours and 50 minutes. The success of the operation enabled the first commercial trip on the line to be made on 20th April.<\/p>\n
From that year until today, high speed has been an unstoppable force, solving great challenges: the first, the extremely complicated orography of the Iberian Peninsula. With such uneven land, building infrastructure for high-speed trains to circulate on \u2013speeds of 250-300 km\/h require tracks with inclines no greater than 3%\u2013 involved executing tunnels and viaducts specifically for this kind of traffic, with demanding track platform parameters and rigorous technical specifications. Another remarkable \u2013and no less challenging\u2013 aspect of the Spanish case was the use of high-technology equipments from various manufacturers, generating a large capacity for integration and development of various technologies. To this it should be added that the Spanish railway network had been built with the so-called Iberian gauge (1,668 mm), which is incompatible with the standard or international track gauge (1,435 mm) established for high speed and used in most European countries. This made it necessary to seek solutions such as the incorporation of the three rails to make circulation compatible on both gauges, the development of modern, fast variable gauge changeover facilities to change the Iberian to the international gauge, and track assembly adapting elements such as the ballast, slab track, sleepers and their clips, track devices, electrification, fixed installations, signalling, etc. Adaptation of the track gauge to international standards culminated in 2012 with the connection for the first time with Europe by the line between Barcelona and Figueres-Perpignan.<\/p>\n
Completing a railway project of this magnitude and the technical disciplines this entails have enabled Spanish engineering and industry to be at the forefront in construction, installation, tune-up and maintenance of high-speed lines. From its technological definition and the first earthworks up to commissioning, a work without precedent was carried out. Practically the entire railway sector has been overturned over decades, becoming a long and complex process that goes from preliminary feasibility studies, informative studies, studies of demand, economic and financial analyses, environmental impact studies and civil engineering, electrification and signalling construction projects, to designs of stations and urban access operations, finishing with the supervision, construction, implementation, exploitation and maintenance of lines and all special works such as tunnels and viaducts.<\/p>\n
As a product of this effort, Spain ended the 20th century with the greatest transport engineering project, the first step in the change that has taken the railway network to the highest levels of efficiency and quality<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The technical and communication differences among European railway networks have been another hurdle to overcome. Isolated from Europe by a different track gauge, Spain was the first country interested in overcoming distances and pursuing interoperability with its neighbouring countries. Today, it is a leader in implementing the ERTMS, the European rail traffic management system that will enable trains to move freely throughout Europe by overcoming the technical and operational hurdles of each system and country through a common language.<\/p>\n
The technical and legal expertise of Ineco\u2019s technicians has led them to collaborate actively with the EU\u2019s ERA agency on the process of harmonising European railway networks. After years of dedication, European signalling systems have been standardised, and signalling control points have been interconnected with this system. This and other services have enabled the acquisition of a high level of know-how in safety systems and communications, on-track detection systems and train protection systems. This experience was complemented by the design and construction of centralised traffic control centres (CRC), from which high- speed tracks are managed using the Da Vinci system, a Spanish patent exported to the United States of America, Morocco and Lithuania and used in the underground rail systems in London and Medell\u00edn.<\/p>\n
In terms of rolling stock, in Spain there are trains in operation made by various manufacturers, among them those of Spanish companies Talgo and CAF. Consultancy and engineering firms have participated in railway operations with latest generation trains which incorporate high-performance technology, i.e. that which enables speeds of up to 350 km\/h. Their implementation involves the participation of experts on circulation, reception of rolling stock and on-board equipment.<\/p>\n