The Diplomat
The Council of Ministers authorized on Tuesday the creation of the state-owned commercial company Renfe Proyectos Internacionales (Renfe International Projects), which will contribute to boost the internationalization of a company that has projects in Europe, America and Asia and is expected to start operating in France before the summer.
With this decision, requested by the Ministries of Transport and Finance and Public Function, “one of the milestones established in Renfe’s Strategic Plan, approved in 2019, is completed, in which internationalization was established as one of the fundamental pillars for the transformation of the company, through the search for international opportunities and the design of an organizational structure in line with the needs”, highlighted the Ministry of Transport in a press release. Following this authorization, the constitution of the new area must be approved by the Board of Directors of Renfe Operadora, where its organizational structure and the incorporation of the different businesses that make up Renfe’s international activity will also be defined.
Renfe’s 2019-2023-2028 Strategic Plan sets as its objective the expansion of the company in the international framework. To this end, in addition to high-speed projects, Renfe is studying Open Access or public service obligation projects in other markets, both in Europe and the rest of the world.
The company is currently participating in international projects in Europe, such as Rail Baltica (in consortium with DB and INECO), for the operation of the railway line that will link the three Baltic capitals with each other and with the European railway network. It is also the majority shareholder of the Czech operator Leo Express.
In addition, RENFE has started testing its AVE trains that will run between Spain and France, specifically on the Barcelona-Lyon and Madrid-Marseille lines. At the moment, it has obtained the certificate from the European Union Railway Agency (ERA) to operate exclusively on the lines to Lyon and Marseille, where it plans to start commercial services before the summer, but it is still working to obtain the Safety Certificate to operate throughout France.
Likewise, RENFE is part of the consortium of companies that has built and operates the high-speed line between Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, called Haramain Highspeed Railway. On the American continent, RENFE has two major projects underway. On the one hand, it participates as a strategic partner of the company Texas Central in the joint development of the ‘Bullet Train’ project between the cities of Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. On the other hand, RENFE participates in the consortium with INECO and DB Engineering & Consulting for the development of the ‘Tren Maya’ project in Mexico, in which RENFE will act as a “shadow operator” of the contracting entity (the Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo).
