Our work in designing solutions aimed at promoting the improvement of mobility through transport networks to increase the quality of life of people and economic competitiveness of territories prompts us, on this occasion, to highlight on the front cover of this issue a project carried out for the Peruvian government to develop the future Central Bi-Oceanic railway (CFBC), a corridor whose purpose is to transport passengers and freight across South America and promote trade between Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.

Also abroad, our experience in planning has led to our participation with Adif as part of the advisory services that Spain is providing to India in relation to its plan to develop an ambitious high-speed rail network, which has been manifested in projects such as the one covered here concerning a feasibility study on a 772-kilometre high-speed line between Mumbai and Nagpur. We also highlight projects such as our recent collaboration on New York’s future Moynihan station and the development of a transport observatory for the Brazilian government, not to mention our proactive participation again at the World ATM Congress, a major international air traffic management trade fair.

We continue to forge ahead with our firm commitment to connecting people in an efficient, sustainable and safe way

In Spain, our commitment to forging ahead with a more efficient, sustainable and safe transport model, thus promoting continuous improvement in the quality of services provided, is also reflected in the goals of two projects carried out in Terminal 1 of Barcelona-El Prat Airport, a terminal that celebrates its tenth anniversary in June of this year 2019. The terminal’s south pier redevelopment and enlargement project will increase its capacity, and the new tunnel that will extend Line 2 of Barcelona’s c network will make it possible for more than 8 million passengers to travel from the Sants station in just 19 minutes. Lastly, we cover the improvements that are being made to the Port of Valencia and to the A Coruña railway station, works that will also contribute to these goals of quality and competitiveness.

We close this issue with a space on corporate social responsibility that features a report on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which Ineco has integrated into its strategy and which we would like to share with our readers.

Its extensive experience in the planning of high-speed lines, gained over the course of many years of constructing the Spanish network, led Adif, an Ineco shareholder, and the Indian state-owned enterprise High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd (HSRC) to sign a collaboration agreement in 2016. Adif and Indian Railways (IR), the parent company of HSRC, began collaborating in 2012 after the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding between Adif, Renfe and IR, establishing a framework for collaboration between the three companies in areas of technological development. This process of cooperation has led to recognition of Adif and other companies in the Spanish rail sector by one of the world’s major markets: India. The country has 64,460 kilometres of railway lines, on which more than 18,000 trains and 20 million people travel on a daily basis, an enormous and complex network that the government proposes to renew by modernising its infrastructure and improving travel times and safety.

In April 2015, India’s Ministry of Railways asked the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness to carry out a feasibility study for a high-speed line between Mumbai and Nagpur, the first phase of the Mumbai-Kolkata corridor. The study was entrusted to Ineco and Adif, with up to 80 people involved over a period of 24 months, and with the goal of providing HSRC with sufficiently detailed technical, economic and environmental data and criteria to enable it to make decisions with respect to the development of high speed in the country.

The section between Mumbai and Nagpur, running through Maharashtra (India’s second most populous state with more than 100 million inhabitants), will complete one of the routes of the so-called ‘Diamond Quadrilateral’, a project to connect India’s four great metropolises –Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi– through a network of 11,000 kilometres of high-performance railway lines.

The project carried out by Ineco and Adif included the initial step of analysing 10 alternative routes at a scale of 1:50,000 and preparing a study of the demand and of the existing transport network to enable selection of the best three routes to be studied in greater detail. These three alternative routes were then defined and analysed, including estimates of operating speed and travel times for each one. The result of this analysis, presented to and validated by HSRC, was the selection of ‘Alternative 2’ as the optimum HSR route to be developed in the feasibility study to be executed through the cities of Mumbai BKC, Thane, Nasik, Aurangabad, Akola, Badnera/Amravati and Nagpur. Lastly, the study and technical definition of this alternative was carried out with the participation of experts in the design of high speed projects, construction, station building, signalling and communications, and specialists in track integration and deployment of gauge-changeover facilities.

In summary, the study included demand studies; prior analysis of the different routing alternatives; an operational plan with calculation of travel times and traffic grids for different scenarios; a rolling stock proposal; analysis and selection of railway technology to be implemented (gauge, track superstructure, electrification, safety and communications facilities, etc.); necessary special works; redevelopment and relocation of the population from affected areas; environmental analysis; rail operation and maintenance; cost estimates; and, finally, an economic/financial analysis that will be used to determine the viability of the new high-speed line, as well as a financing proposal for the project.

To carry out the study of medium and long-term traffic demand, the mobility needs and socio-economic characteristics of the populations along the entire corridor were analysed in conjunction with local development plans and United Nations population growth projections. In addition, a temporary demand scenario was developed for several years ahead, determined by the development of the infrastructure in phases: 2025 (Thane-Nasik), 2030 (Thane-Nasik-Aurangabad), 2035 (Thane-Nasik-Aurangabad-Akola-Badnera/Amravati-Nagpur) and finally 2050 with arrival in Kolkata.

Technical definition of the corridor

The section consists of double-track line exclusively for passenger traffic and five new stations (Nasik, Aurangabad, Akola, Amravati/Badnera and Nagpur), with connection at the Thane station of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project being developed by Indian Railways. The infrastructure is designed in accordance with European standards including tunnels, viaducts and special infrastructures. The entire track runs on ballast except in stations and tunnels longer than 1.5 kilometres, where slab track is used. Functionally, the line is standard-gauge double track designed with sidings every 40-60 kilometres and intermediate crossovers every 20-30 kilometres, which provides maximum operating flexibility.

Cuts more than 30 metres high will require the construction of tunnels, eight in total, one of which will be a twin-tube tunnel 7 kilometres long excavated with a tunnel boring machine. Embankments of more than 15 metres will require special works such as bridges or viaducts and it is anticipated that a total of 526 structures will need to be constructed to negotiate obstacles such as rivers, railway lines and roads.

As for the five proposed stations, four standard models have been designed to optimise the size of the buildings and tailor them to actual passenger volumes. Maintenance workbases have been located every 150 kilometres and as much as possible close to towns and cities to facilitate the movement of personnel; the main rolling stock depot will be in Nasik, with a second auxiliary depot located on the outskirts of Thane (Mumbai). The project includes a preliminary proposal for the installation of 12 traction substations (every 60-70 km) and the necessary connections to the existing power supply network.

The feasibility study includes an economic/financial analysis that reflects the project’s operational feasibility, cost effectiveness and balance. It also takes into account suitable management and governance frameworks for the implementation of HSR in India, financial assessment and risk analysis.

Ineco welcomed a delegation of experts from the High Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (HSRC) at the headquarters in Madrid. In the image, the president of Ineco, Jesús Silva, next to batch officer Vijay Anand, director general of Rail Vikas Projects and member of the HSRC Management Board.

The delegation visited Spain’s high-speed lines (AVE) in Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville and Malaga. Ineco is carrying out the new high-speed corridor project in India between Delhi and Kolkata together with the Indian consultancy ICT.

What do you think Spanish technology and experience can bring to our corridor?

I am sure that, under the leadership of Ineco, a Spanish public company with extensive experience in different HSR systems, the consortium will do a fantastic job. I wish them every success in their endeavors. Furthermore, during our visit to Spain in September 2014, we noted that several different systems and technologies had been used to develop the Spanish High-Speed Rail system network, which is the second largest in the world. This knowledge will allow Ineco to provide us with comparative analyses and conclusive technical recommendations.

What was your impression from the visit?

I believe that it was a great success. Our technical experts could see various technologies at work, used to create HSR infrastructures and operate HSR trains. The most interesting things were the gauge changing train, the different traction systems and the signalling and train control systems. The delegation was also impressed by the high-maintenance quality of the tracks and rolling stock.

Coming back to the project, what is the current service level of the existing line between Delhi and Kolkata?

The passenger trains between Delhi and Kolkata currently run at 120-130 km/h. There are various classes on offer to passengers, including First Class Air Conditioned, Two-tier Air Conditioned Sleeper, Three-tier Air Conditioned and the Three-tier Non-Air Conditioned Sleeper, as well as a general, non-reservable class. There are about 17 trains each way every day, which carry around 900-1,400 passengers each.

What kind of comfort levels and technical standards is HSRC currently considering for the new high-speed rail lines?

HSRC is a project development agency whose technical standards are determined by the Ministry of Railways. As part of Indian Railways, there is a specific organisation called Research, Design & Standards Organization (RDSO) which is helping to improve technical standards. Nonetheless, this contract includes a comparative study of the different technologies available on the international market. The most important areas include civil engineering structures, rail tracks, traction systems, the power supply system, the control system, signalling, telecommunications, rolling stock and automatic fare
collection technology. The railway tariffs in India are highly subsidized.

Our technicians were impressed by the high quality of maintenance of the Spanish network

In your opinion, what are the challenges involved in introducing high-speed rail lines with speeds up to 250km/h?

Constructing a new high-speed rail line will bring many challenges. For HSRC, the most complex task will be securing funds, acquiring land and completing the project on time. In any case, the study’s conclusions and recommendations will have a big impact on this question’s answer.

The number of passengers in India will continue to grow –will the Diamond Quadrilateral project address this growth? Or at the very least, will the project reduce traffic congestion?

The HSR lines will really boost the existing network’s passenger capacity, as the operation will be a lot faster, with more passenger trains that will probably be more frequent. This will allow for a reduction in traffic congestion, not only on the railway network but also on the roads.

What kind of economic growth do you expect this new line to generate?

Historically, Kolkata has been a very important port city for eastern India. Nowadays it is the capital of the state of West Bengal. It was the capital of India for a short while, before the country gained independence. Linking Delhi to Kolkata via HSR will give an extra economic boost to an already economically important region.

Spanish engineering and its 3,000 kilometres of AVE has made an impression on the country with one of the most extensive rail networks in the world. A team of engineers and experts from Ineco, Typsa an ICT have been working since 2015 on examining down to the last detail the feasibility study for the future high-speed line that will connect the capital New Delhi with Kolkata.

After years of postponed initiatives, the current government –the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)– led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given a definitive push to implement the high-speed line between its four main cities: New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. These four metropolises together have a population of 55 million people in a country with 1,276 billion inhabitants (one sixth of the world’s population). New Delhi has a metropolitan area of around 17 million inhabitants, Mumbai, 18, Kolkata, 14, and Chennai, formerly Madras, around 6 million.

The current government has given a definitive push to implement high speed in the country

Modi has made the industrial development of the country the central focus of his mandate, represented by the ‘Make in India’ campaign, which aims to promote internal production and reduce dependence on foreign countries. To stimulate his economy, the construction of infrastructure, particularly railways and roads, are crucial. Since his arrival to the government in summer 2014, the Prime Minister has implemented the Diamond Quadrilateral Program, a diamond with four corners, which includes the cities of New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, separated by more than 1,000 kilometres and connected by modern rail infrastructure: the seed of India’s future high-speed network. The project of this corridor covers 14 states and will serve as an economic driver as well as contributing to rejuvenate the country’s very old rail network, in which every day 18,000 trains operate, around 23 million passengers travel and around 2.6 million tonnes of goods are transported.

Although trains are the mode of transport most used in India –the country is literally knit together with a network of 64,460 kilometres– modernisation of its infrastructure and improved travel times and safety are issues that need to be resolved, which new investments aim to remedy.

Ineco was helped in the awarding of this tender by the support and commercial coordination of the Spain Business Overseas office in India. From New Delhi, its delegate Pedro Sinués has remarked that “the ability and technical experience of Spanish companies has allowed them to achieve the Diamond Quadrilateral tender, which has placed India on the international high-speed map”. “Proof of it –added Sinués– is that the consortium led by Ineco competed against 11 other international consortiums. As such, it becomes more important that two Ineco-led Spanish companies can apply their knowledge acquired in Spain to such an emblematic corridor (connecting what was the capital of India until 1911 with the current capital) and it is important in the socioeconomic structuring of the country”.

The amount awarded is over two million euros and the execution period is one year

The study, commissioned by the state company High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd. (HSRC), includes demand studies; prior analysis of route alternatives; calculation of journey times; selection of rail technology to implement (track gauge, track superstructure, electrification, communications and safety installations, etc.); necessary special works; regeneration and resettlement of affected populated areas; environmental analysis; rolling stock and operation and maintenance. Lastly, an economic-financial analysis will be carried out that will be used to determine the feasibility of the new line as well as the most adequate method of funding. The amount awarded is over two million euros and the execution period is one year.

The length of the corridor is around 1,500 kilometres and it passes through cities of great commercial, social and touristic interest, such as New Delhi, Agra (the city of the well-known Taj Mahal), Aligarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mughal, Varanasi, Sarai, Patna, Gaya, Dhanbad, Asansol, Durgapur and Kolkata. The line runs through quite a flat area, near the river Ganges, and crosses various rivers and streams, which will require the design of viaducts.

For Félix Zapata, technical director of the project and Ineco engineer, “the work basically consists of analysing the feasibility of its construction, bearing in mind its financial cost and the social advantages that it will bring. Furthermore, we will offer the most appropriate financial model for its implementation”. “The works –adds Zapata– are aimed at achieving speeds and levels of comfort and safety within the modern high-speed standards. For this purpose, we will propose the most appropriate rail technology: type of track (ballast, slab track), electrification, communications and safety installations, rolling stock, specifications for the operation and maintenance of the new high-speed line, etc.”

The extensive Indian rail network has great potential and its own industry, but also many challenges: only 33% of its network is electrified, there are few fibre optic networks, they lack enclosure, stations do not have ticket purchasing systems or safety controls, etc. The project includes adaptation of the current stations to high speed or, failing that, the proposal of the location and preliminary design of new stations. As such, the construction of rail infrastructure with the characteristics mentioned previously will be a very important advancement in the Indian rail network.

In 2014, Ineco conducted a feasibility study on the high-speed rail connection between Haldia and Howrah for Indian Railways, a study carried out with the Spanish companies Ayesa and Prointec, which is part of the projects planned in the Diamond Quadrilateral. Furthermore, in 2009, Ineco provided technical assistance for the works of the Mumbai metro.

How can we ensure that a taximeter is reliable or that a nuclear facility is safe, that a bulletproof vest is really bulletproof or that the MOT that reviews a vehicle does not act arbitrarily? In Spain, more than 1,600 entities ensure that many products, procedures and services available in the market comply with the regulations of their respective sector. A Spanish government body, the National Accreditation Entity (ENAC), is responsible for authorising who guarantees the safety of consumers and end users. Entities must renew their accreditation every year, demonstrating that they comply with the strict requirements of independence, rigour and transparency that are required for this work.

Rail lines

The wide range of products and services subject to receiving a certification endorsed by an ENAC entity covers any type of production and different types of entities, such as testing or calibration laboratories, inspectors, or certifiers and environmental verifiers from practically any sector: industry, energy, environment, health, agriculture and food, research, development and innovation, telecommunications, tourism, services, construction, transport, etc.

The inspection activity of Ineco falls within the latter, specifically within railway, and in 2009 it obtained its first ENAC accreditation as an ‘independent safety assessor’ with the number 76/EI058. In 2015, it was renewed and extended to the fields of rolling stock, energy, infrastructure, maintenance and exploitation and traffic management. The company has a multidisciplinary team consisting of professionals accredited by ENAC. The work of the entities certified by ENAC, moreover, is not only valid in Spain, but also in the over 70 countries with which it has mutual recognition agreements, including the European Union, United States, Canada, China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India, United Arab Emirates and Mexico, amongst others.

Why an independent safety assessment?

In addition to rolling stock, since the beginning of rail at the end of the 19th century, the main rail elements related to safety have been signalling systems, in order to avoid the greatest risk of all: collisions between trains. From manual signals to lights, to digital systems and radio without physical signals on the tracks –as is the case for ERTMS level 2–, the different control, command and signalling systems (ASFA, LZB, ERTMS, etc.) have evolved to become more complex and sophisticated, always with the objective of guaranteeing the safe circulation of trains.

The current rail lines –conventional and high speed–, are very complex infrastructure that consist of a large number of elements and undergo very extensive legal and technical regulation that requires a high degree of specialisation by the inspectors. From the time they are planned until they are commissioned, European and international regulations require verification that each and every one of the elements and subsystems work correctly, from the simplest, such as the ventilation of a tunnel, to the most complex, such as software.

For this purpose, two types of safety study are carried out. On one hand, risk analyses, in which threats are identified that could bring the system to a potentially dangerous situation and work is being carried out on mitigation measures or barriers to avoid them. They can be carried out in any stage of the project and seek to detect the weak points of the system. Moreover, and on a higher level, there is the type of study known as ISA (Independent Safety Assessment). Unlike risk analyses, ISA can only be carried out by an accredited entity. They are essential to guarantee for a third party –the operator or rail authority– that a new line or modification of an existing line is safe and can begin or continue to be used.

In our first issue of 2016 we have made way for news articles and reports regarding major projects that are key to the future of Ineco and other companies from Spain. Both the study for the construction of a high-speed railway between New Delhi and Kolkata as well as the waste management contracts in Panama and Ecuador exemplify the headway made in overseas markets as a result of the years of training, work and rigour that Spanish engineering has brought to fruition in various infrastructure-related fields.

The value of these studies lies not only in their irrefutable technical and financial magnitude, but also –and almost more importantly– in the role they play in the socio-economic development of the countries where they are carried out in addition to the unique, exclusive experience that, having been designed for and applied to the Spanish market, is proving to yield excellent results in countries all around the world.

Although it was only a short time ago that we were strategizing how to export the technological capacity of the Spanish High-Speed Rail (AVE), we can now talk about some real-life examples. We are not only working in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Turkey, but over the last few months, Ineco has also begun to carry out studies for the implementation of this sophisticated rail technology in both Egypt and India. We are backed by more than 30 years of experience –the first high-speed railway in Spain was inaugurated in 1992– a rail network spanning 3,100 kilometres and a series of challenges that we have successfully overcome. The work that we are carrying out in India is featured both on our front page and in an article including an interview with the managing director of the HSRC, the body responsible for the development and implementation of high-speed rail projects in this Asian country.

We are not only working in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Turkey, but over the last few months Ineco has also begun to carry out studies for the implementation of this sophisticated rail technology in both Egypt and India

Tourism and air transport are also activities that carry an important weight in Spain. This is apparent in the record seen by the tourism industry with a total of 68 million visitors in 2015, wherein eight out of ten tourists arrived to Spain via one of the 46 Spanish airports. We are grateful for the participation and opinions of the secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in an article covering this topic. The aviation section of this issue also features another article which addresses the technical challenges faced in the design of control towers. Finally, I should like to mention the pages that we have dedicated to the colossal engineering project that spanned the 155 kilometres of the Atlantic Axis, crossing over rugged Galician terrain: 37 tunnels and 32 viaducts highlight the enormity of this project that has now become a reality.

With these and other articles, as well as an updated design, I am certain that we are conveying the high quality standard of Spanish engineering to our clients and readers without neglecting, of course, to inform and entertain.