Alstom and Adif sign a framework agreement for joint R&D&I activities

At Málagas Railway Technology Centre

Alstom Transporte joins Adifs Railway Technology Centre to participate in joint research, technological development and innovation activities on a national and international level.

The priority research lines concern ERTMS signalling and safety systems for infrastructures with a third power rail, energy efficiency for train braking energy recovery, fibre optic detection for rail sensors and interoperable signalling systems for urban railway systems.

Adif president Antonio González Marín and Antonio Moreno Rodríguez, managing director of Alstom Transporte, have signed a framework agreement for collaboration in the area of research and technological development, according to which Alstom will join Adifs Railway Technology Centre in the Andalusia Technology Park in Málaga.

The agreement gives priority to the following lines of research:

• Validation of Eurobalise beacons for railway infrastructures with a third power rail: This line of research is intended to extend the conditions under which the Alstom Eurobalise can be used, permitting the circulation of trains using the ERTMS European signalling system, with minimal intervention in installations and improved safety and exploitation of the line.
• Functionality analysis of the third power rail: Documenting from a safety standpoint all the developments made and future projects to be carried out in collaboration with Adif, both in Spain and abroad.
• Energy efficiency: Recovery of the trains braking energy in order to return it to the electric grid. This results in environmental benefits (reduced CO2 emissions).
• Project for the installation of signalling systems for railway and tramway operations: Implementation study of ERTMS Solutions for metro systems or the installation of low-cost interlocking systems. Extend the scope of action of the Technological Centre to include tramway system management. Homogenisation of signalling equipment for railway and tramway systems to reduce maintenance costs.
• Development of a fibre optic detection system for rail sensors.

In addition, the framework agreement signed between Adif and Alstom will allow for the development of activities in which both have a common interest in the railway sector, such as:

Collaboration in the creation of public-private consortiums for presenting R&D&I project bids for national and local calls for tender, or joint offers for international competitions.

Studies, projects and research programmes addressing development and innovation in areas of common scientific interest.

Reciprocal advice, mutual support and the exchange of information concerning the promotion, development and monitoring of scientific activities, through the drafting of reports, the creation of work groups and other forms of collaboration.

Cooperation in training programmes for researchers and technicians and the exchange of and collaboration among personnel, as required by the nature of the common work.

In addition, by virtue of this framework agreement, Adif makes available to Alstom reserved areas at the Railway Technology Centre to carry out collaborative activities of common interest in the field of science and technology.

The Málaga Railway Technology Centre, a leader in technological innovation

Adif has made a firm commitment from the very beginning to innovation and technological development. It now has a total of 48 R&D&I projects in the execution phase and 6 more projects that have been recently approved as part of the INNPACTO 2011 programme, all in collaboration with different entities, representing an overall investment of 118 million. This is in addition to ongoing collaboration with more than 100 Spanish companies, 24 technology centres and 26 universities.

The Centre is intended to serve as an open space for the promotion of innovation and business collaboration focused on technological development for railway systems through R&D&I projects.

It currently benefits from the participation and presence of companies on the cutting edge of technology, besides Alstom, including companies like Abengoa, Acciona, Alcatel-Lucent, Azvi, Cetren, CIAC, Elecnor Deimos, Ferrovial, Huawei, Sando, Sice, Schneider, Ineco, Indra, Technosite, Thales, TJH2B and Tria Railway, with new organisations expected to join in the near future.

With the creation of the Railway Technology Centre, Adif intends to strengthen the position of the Spanish railway system leading Europe and the world in cutting-edge technology. This technology centre and the auxiliary railway loop that will be built for testing will be on the forefront throughout the world in terms of research, development and innovation for high-speed railway systems.
During the first phase, the Railway Technology Centre will be equipped with two specialised Adif laboratories: the GSM-R laboratory, for RBC-Train communications technology and ERTMS data engineering; and the ICT laboratory, dedicated to intelligent transport systems and the evolution of the DaVinci system, an advanced system for managing railway traffic.

Furthermore, the Centre will house departments specialised in training, technological surveillance, R&D&I project management and technology transfer to support Adifs national and international projects, in co-operation with or even on behalf of third parties under contract.

R&D&I at Adif
Among the strategic objectives at Adif is increased co-operation with public and private entities in research activities, development and technological innovation within its potential priority business areas, and likewise, in R&D&I projects promoted by the public administrations in Spain and the European Union through the R&D&I Framework Programme.

In this sense, Adif has established a Railway Technology and Research Centre in Málaga and plans to build specific auxiliary facilities for testing and experimentation (the railway loop). These will serve as a reference for carrying out R&D projects to make Spanish companies more competitive, and will also place Spanish railway transport on the cutting edge of technology in Europe and the world.

Alstom
Alstom Transport is a prestigious company with worldwide experience in the design, manufacture and maintenance of railway solutions (rolling stock, electrification and signalling). Priority is given to their R&D&I activities in railway signalling and electrification, which is why it is interested in promoting collaboration with Spanish companies that would enable it to strengthen its position in Spanish and international product and systems markets.

By joining the Adifs Railway Technology Centre in Málaga, Alstom makes a firm commitment to R&D&I in Spain, adding this new centre to those already operating in León and Linares (Jaén).

Press contacts
Andrés López-Morancho, Alstom Spain Tel.: +34 91 334 5800
andres.lopez-morancho@crn.alstom.com

• Transport Press Release 4.19