Renta 4 | Adif has announced that it will start the second phase of the liberalisation of long-distance rail transport. The lines to be put out to tender are those to Murcia, Galicia, Extremadura, the Basque Country and Asturias. Renfe, Iryo, Ouigo, Eco Rail, Euskotren and FGC have already expressed interest in participating in this contract.
One of the key points is that Adif will include in the tender the obligation for trains to be variable gauge, a technology currently only in the hands of Talgo and CAF, although the latter does not have any very high-speed trains operating at these speeds with this system.
Assessment:
Positive news, mainly for Talgo, since several operators have already commented that Talgo’s Avril solution would be a faster option for the availability of trains, a circumstance that could lead to relevant contracts for the company.
In the case of CAF, it is likely that its most feasible option is for Euskotren to be one of the winners and that it trusts CAF’s solution.
