The Spanish Minister of Public Works, José Blanco has met with the President of Russian Railways (RZD), Vladimir Yakunin, in Madrid this week in order to address issues related to railway infrastructures. This event has also included a new meeting of the workgroup for the development of the collaboration agreement Adif-RZD, as well as the visit to the Control and Regulation Center and the H24 Management Center in Madrid Puerta de Atocha.
During his visit, Vladimir Yakunin, who has been received by H.M. King Juan Carlos, has visited Adif’s installations in the context of the collaboration agreement between Spain and Russia, concerning railway issues.
This institutional visit is framed within the context of the collaboration agreement in railway issues signed in 2007 between Adif and the Russian company RZD, the biggest railway company in the world, and lays down the bases for cooperation between both bodies through the exchange of experiences and innovation in railway technology.
RZD has shown interest in acquiring in-depth knowledge of Spain’s wide experience in matters such as design, construction and development of high speed infrastructures, as well as the progress of other ongoing collaboration projects.
Within this context, Russian railways are currently engaged in a modernization process that includes investments worth $ 450 billion until the year 2030, to be spent on the different areas of railway system management.
Collaboration Agreement
Together with the institutional visit, a further meeting of the work group for the development of the Adif-RZD collaboration agreement was held simultaneously, with the aim of analyzing the activities carried out up to now and establishing the programme of activities for the year 2010.
The collaboration agreement established in 2007, includes the exchange of experience in innovation, and railway technology, paying special attention to issues related to high speed and interoperability (ERTMS, gauge exchangers, etc.).
Amongst the specific actions carried out, we can highlight the specialization of Adif’s technicians in railway infrastructure operating and maintenance procedures under severe weather conditions, together with Russian railways executives and specialists training in high speed infrastructure construction and operation techniques, as well as the organization of high speed seminars and Adif’s collaboration in the homologation testing of the new variable gauge rolling stock of Spanish origin, for the Russian network.
Within this collaboration framework, the Russian railways are in constant contact with several Spanish companies a part from Adif, such as Ineco, Renfe Operadora, Talgo and others, with reference to the project of the organization of transport service during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. To this end, passenger rolling stock of Spanish technology will undergo a series of performance tests on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg and Moscow–Brest high speed lines up to the end of April.
(Source: ADIF)
