MITMA Group companies, including Ineco, have joined the STEAM Alliance for female talent. On 9 February, the signing ceremony of the protocol took place with the Ministers of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and Education and Vocational Training, Raquel Sánchez and Pilar Alegría, respectively, and the presidents of Adif, Renfe, ENAIRE, Aena, Puertos del Estado and Ineco, Sergio Vázquez (third from the left). 

Under the slogan ‘Girls in Science’, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is promoting this initiative in the public and private sectors to “encourage the interest of girls and young women in disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics” (STEAM).

Supporting the STEAM vocations of girls and women in education is a priority issue not only for the United Nations, which includes it in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also for the European Union and the government of Spain, which has included it in the Digital Spain 2025 Agenda. Meanwhile, Ineco has made equality one of the pillars of its strategic business plan.

As part of the group of companies of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Ineco is participating in the new European railway R&D&I programme that has recently been launched and is the largest to date: Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU), which replaces the previous programme called Shift2Rail.  

In addition to the MITMA Group, ERJU has 25 other founding partners, including manufacturers, infrastructure operators and managers, and others. Its aim is to promote research and innovation projects linked to the creation of a Single European Railway Area on the continent, similar to the Single European Sky initiative in the field of air transport. 

One of the most efficient ways to respond to the social and environmental needs of our society is to design transport infrastructure and urban spaces that incorporate all of the variables that contribute to inclusive and sustainable mobility; mobility, moreover, that not only corrects existing imbalances but also creates spaces that are more integrated and humane.

We begin this edition with a clear example of this approach: namely, the improvements being made to Avenida Alfonso Molina in A Coruña. The works form part of an action proposal drawn up by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, in line with the urban development policies of the EU, the 2030 Agenda and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

All of these advances are made possible thanks to Ineco’s specialist teams and their outstanding technical and technological qualifications

2021 is the European Year of Rail, which celebrates a mode of transport that is sustainable, smart and safe. In a number of articles in this new edition, we highlight the benefits that railways bring for people, the economy and the climate. Cutting-edge satellite technology in pioneering innovation projects for railways in Europe, the modernisation of the Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto line (a key part of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Corridor), the link between Sol and Gran Vía stations in Madrid serving 22,000 users per day, and the use of clean energy in level-crossing protection systems: all of these developments exemplify the tremendous technical and digital progress being made by a mode of transport that is on track for a bright future.

This drive to develop infrastructure that will help to bring about social and environmental improvements is also evident in the work carried out in the airport sector. The updating of the Master Plan for Simón Bolívar Airport in Santa Marta (Colombia) paves the way for a future expansion that will give a major boost to tourism and the economy in the north-eastern region of the country, while LEED Gold certification will make Kuwait International Airport a global benchmark for sustainability with regard to this type of transport infrastructure.

All of these advances are made possible thanks to Ineco’s specialist teams and their outstanding technical and technological qualifications. One such example is the group of cyber-security experts, whose continuous support plays a vital role in responding to the challenges of the digital environment. You can meet our cyber-security experts in this edition of ITRANSPORTE. These teams also represent an enormous social and human commitment. Ineco’s 2030 Agenda Commission, for example, focuses all of its talent on helping the company achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Raquel Sánchez Jiménez replaces Jose Luis Ábalos at the head of MITMA. Born in Gavà (Barcelona) in 1975, where she has been mayor of the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia (PSC) since 2014, she has a degree in Law from the University of Barcelona and a master’s degree in Labor Law and Social Security from the Pompeu-Fabra University. In 2020, she was elected as a representative of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces in the National Climate Council.

The new 14-kilometer section of the A-68 highway between the Zaragoza towns of Figueruelas and Gallur entered service on March 23, with an official act in which the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and the government of Aragon participated.

The project, drawn up by Ineco for the Demarcación de Carreteras de Aragón, consisted of doubling the carriageway and upgrading the layout of the N-232 road to convert it into a high-capacity road. The section accommodates daily traffic of 13,000 vehicles, of which more than 50% are heavy vehicles, and will add to the 28 kilometres of highway already in service between Zaragoza and Figueruelas. When work on the next section, up to Mallén, is completed towards the end of 2022, an axis of more than 80 kilometres of highway will be completed from Zaragoza to Alfaro, in La Rioja.

Within the context of the ongoing global health crisis, we must all play our part in the search for innovative, solidarity-based solutions that will enable us to lay the foundations for a solid and sustainable recovery. To help meet this critical challenge, at the national level, Ineco is firmly committed to aiding the efforts of the Ministry of  Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda by providing technical support to help implement the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

The main aims of this Plan are to modernise the economy, restore economic growth and create jobs, and as such, it will play a key role in consolidating and boosting the activities of the engineering and consultancy sector, which will have to offer a sound and technologically innovative response to the challenges that are looming in the short and medium term.

These are challenges that our company is tackling head-on, following a positive end to the 2020 financial year and prospects for 2021 that allow us to remain fairly optimistic, based on most solid guarantee of all: the enormous talent of our professionals. The award that one of our team recently received from the Madrid Association of Civil Engineers, along with the development of the innovative EOS project to help make flight procedures safer, are clear examples of Ineco’s entrepreneurial and forward-looking response capacity.

At Ineco we are firmly committed to aiding the efforts of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda by providing technical support to help implement the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan

At the international level, the contracts we have recently signed – such as the one for the Tren Maya, in Mexico, not only boost Ineco’s economic outlook for the coming years, but also reinforce the leading role played by Spanish engineering around the world.

Further examples of our strength and competitiveness include the commission to produce the Master Plan and design for what will become the second-largest airport in Greece, at Kasteli on the island of Crete; and the extension of the renovation works on the rail link between Samsun and Kalin, in Turkey.

This work is the result of the knowledge we have acquired through the projects we have implemented in Spain over recent decades. Among them, the addition of gauge changeovers to the high-speed rail network: a highly successful experience, particularly useful in terms of helping us export our know-how to other countries. At the international level, examples include highly specialised projects such as the development of new rail regulations for the Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado de Chile (EFE).

We have also made progress in fulfilling our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs: a commitment that continues to encourage us to promote actions and initiatives designed to improve quality of life for society as a whole. This has led us to continue supporting solidarity-based projects such as IngenioSOS which has helped to improve essential services in Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, South Sudan, India and Haiti over the course of its two editions.

On 1 February, the new 54-kilometre section of high-speed track between Monforte del Cid and Beniel –which includes the new stations of Elche Alta Velocidad and Orihuela Miguel Hernández– was opened by the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He was accompanied by José Luis Ábalos, the Minister of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, and Ximo Puig, the President of the Autonomous Community of Valencia (the image shows the three men at the station in Elche along with the mayor, Carlos González, on the right). The minister highlighted the one-hour reduction in the travel time between Elche and Madrid and the two new daily connections between Murcia and the capital.

Ineco has worked on all of the high-speed sections in the Levante region (see IT47) and this time provided Adif with a range of services, such as the drafting of plans for safety installations, construction management, technical assistance for platforms and stations, signalling and telecommunications, track assembly, overhead lines, running tests, and supervising and testing the ERTMS Level 2 system. Of particular note in this respect is the technological milestone of the commissioning of Spain’s first handover between different technologies, which took place in the triangle formed by Murcia, the Vinalopó split and Monforte del Cid. The project was implemented by CAF Signalling and makes it possible for RBC systems from two different manufacturers, Hitachi and Alstom, to hand over control of the trains passing through their respective areas of operation.

José Luis Ábalos, the Minister of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, opened Adif’s new Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in León on 10 December. The new ROC joins the 22 that are already in operation across Spain and represents the country’s first multi-network centre, as it incorporates Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) systems for three different rail networks (conventional, high-speed and meter-gauge, which in León comprise a total of 1,200 kilometres of track) into a single operating centre.

Ineco developed the construction plan for the ROC building itself, which was opened in 2013. It was designed to centralise all of León’s rail operating facilities in a single location, although at first it was only used for the conventional lines.

The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, ‘Spain Can’, will guide the implementation of 140 billion of European funds through 2026, thanks to the Next Generation EU, recovery instrument, of which, approximately 80 billion will be spent in the form of transfers and the rest through loans.

The effort to mobilise the nearly 80 billion euros in transfers will be concentrated in the first three years (2021-2023), maximising their impact on the rapid reconstruction of the economy, before using the loans to supplement the financing of ongoing projects.

The ultimate goal of the Plan is to contribute to repairing the economic and social damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic through calls for proposals, public-private partnership projects and direct investments governed by European guidelines.

The Plan is structured around 4 guidelines, 30 components and 10 urgent lever policies: the urban and rural agenda and the fight against depopulation; resilient infrastructures and ecosystems; fair and inclusive energy transition; Administration for the 21st century; modernisation and digitalisation of the industrial fabric and SMEs; recovery of tourism and promotion of an Entrepreneurial Spain; a pact for science and innovation; reinforcement of the capacity of the National Health System; education; new care economy and employment policies; promotion of the culture and sports industry; and modernisation of the tax system.

According to the Spanish government, the mobilisation of such a large volume of resources opens up an extraordinary opportunity for the country. It will not only allow us to overcome the crisis and recover jobs, but will also facilitate the modernisation of our economy, enabling a green, digital, inclusive and social recovery.

The Plan is inspired by the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, representing an opportunity for the Spanish Government not only to overcome the crisis and recover employment, but also to modernise the economy

Next Generation EU, an unprecedented innovation effort 

The Next Generation EU funds are the response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has been a challenge of historic proportions for Europe. The EU and its Member States have had to take emergency measures to protect the health of citizens and prevent the collapse of the economy. This has required an unprecedented effort and an innovative approach that will drive the alignment, resilience and transformation in the European Union.

On 21 July 2020, the European Council agreed on a temporary exceptional recovery instrument known as Next Generation EU for the amount of 750 billion euros. The Recovery Fund ensures a coordinated European response with Member States in order to address the economic and social consequences of the pandemic. The funds can be used to grant repayable loans and non-repayable transfers. These amounts will be spent over six years, until the end of 2026. The portion corresponding to repayable loans must be repaid by 31 December 2058.

Challenges for the Ministry of Transport 

The Plan contains actions in the areas of transport, mobility and the urban agenda for the period 2020-2023, including direct implementation actions and aid programmes.

The MITMA is expected to manage three specific components of the Plan related to transport, mobility and the urban agenda:

• Component 1: Shock plan for sustainable, safe and connected mobility in urban and metropolitan environments..
• Component 2: Implementation of the Spanish Urban Agenda with the Urban Rehabilitation and Regeneration Plan.
• Component 6: Sustainable, safe and connected mobility.

To guarantee the effectiveness of the Plan and ensure efficiency in the development of the different projects, last February the MITMA launched the first calls for expressions of interest in order to achieve a more detailed definition of its components, through the knowledge of the real interest of the market in the proposed measures and the incorporation of the needs of the sector with a high impact on the ecological and digital transformation, efficiency and economy. In the words of government Minister José Luis Ábalos, “we must take advantage of the momentum of the recovery and European funds to face the challenges of digitalisation and sustainability in mobility, housing, building and infrastructures in the coming years and modernise our productive fabric”.

Ábalos has stated that within these programmes, autonomous communities, local entities and companies will be involved, through lines of aid for issues within their jurisdiction, such as housing, town planning and transport.

Accordingly, in the transport and mobility components, the Plan seeks to accelerate the implementation of low-emission zones in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants or provincial capitals; to promote the transformation of transport towards zero emissions; to reduce the use of private vehicles in urban and metropolitan areas, prioritising collective public transport and active mobility, thus contributing to the objectives of modal shift and, finally, to promote the digitalisation of the activity of public transport services. A sustainable and digital transport support programme for businesses will also be launched.

In terms of housing, the minister announced the renovation of homes in metropolitan and rural areas during the Plan period, as well as the promotion of the renovation of public buildings and the local action plans of the Spanish Urban Agenda.

The aim of all this work is to finance projects that will enable a rebalancing of the modal split of national transport towards more sustainable modes, reduce the sector’s high share of pollutant emissions and make use of available digital and technological advances. According to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, in 2018 transport was responsible for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions in Spain, making it necessary to promote multimodal transport that contributes to reducing environmental impacts. Another cornerstone to work on is improving the competitiveness of Spanish companies through advances in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, big data and e-commerce.

A big opportunity for the Infrastructure, Transport and Housing sector

The Recovery Plan is vitally important for the infrastructure, transport and housing sector. It is a lever that will enable the challenges of digitalisation and the sustainability of mobility, housing, building and infrastructures to be addressed in the coming years, modernising Spain’s productive fabric. To this end, it is vital to ensure effective implementation measures in order to facilitate the achievement of the Plan’s objectives. For this purpose, MITMA has created a Technical Support Office for the Plan in which Ineco collaborates by providing expert advisory services.

The Office has a multidisciplinary team of professionals who will advise and oversee the management, monitoring and coordination of the development of the programme and will provide the means needed to carry out the management of the grants, optimising them as much as possible.

The MITMA has created a Support Office for the Recovery Plan, comprising a multidisciplinary team of experts who will advise and oversee the management, monitoring and coordination of the development of the programme

In this regard, Minister Ábalos highlighted the steps already taken towards “streamlining public procurement and management, in accordance with European law and the unwavering commitment in the fight against corruption”. Furthermore, he pointed out that “we are counting on the autonomous communities and local city councils. We envisage the co-management of European funds, consistent with the aims of the Plan”.

The Technical Support Office, through the MITMA, will provide support in the coordination, integration of all information, management of competitive calls for grants, monitoring and control of direct management grants, document management and communication with the outside world, including the Office of the President of the Government of Spain and/or EU authorities, among others. Specialists from a variety of disciplines, mainly engineers, architects, economists and lawyers, as well as administrative staff, will be involved in the different areas of development. Its role includes supporting the Secretariats-General of the MITMA in the areas of transport and mobility, infrastructure, urban agenda and housing.

On 26 October, the Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda officially opened the high-speed line in Galicia between Zamora and Pedralba de la Pradería, leaving only one leg to complete the line. The new railway, 110 kilometres long and with 14 viaducts and 9 tunnels, is outfitted with level 2 ERTMS and has been built for speeds of 300 km/h.

Ineco has been heavily involved in work on the line. It is currently the works and environmental manager for several sites on the last unfinished section, between Pedralba and Ourense (see IT67). At 101 kilometres long, and with 32 viaducts and 31 tunnels, Transport Minister Abalos declared that “this is one of the most complicated stretches of high-speed railway in Spain and Europe”.

The official opening was also attended by the Minister of Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, and the Presidents of Adif and Renfe, Isabel Pardo de Vera and Isaías Táboas, along with other leading figures.