(17/03/2014)  The Spanish railway sector has doubled its exports during the crisis, going from a turnover of €1,200 million in 2008 to €2,507 million in 2012, with a growth exceeding 20% in 2013.

The opening of offices and production plants, as well as the achievement of important international projects in different countries or regions such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, etc., continue to provide oxygen to the companies of the sector among the difficult national situation.

Among the awarded projects, we must highlight the participation of Spanish companies in the metros of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Doha (Qatar), Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo (Brazil) or Guadalajara (Mexico).

To these, we must also add other recent awards such as the implementation of ERTMS in Turkey, the driverless Downtown Line in Singapore, the provision of high-performance trains in Russia and Kazakhstan, signalling systems in the Cairo-Alexandria (Egypt) corridor or the installation of a trench around the tram in Bordeaux (France), among others.

During this last year, international presence has also increased with the completion of the kinetic energy recovery system in the trams of Bielefeld (Germany), the achievement of the largest order in national history in machine tools for Australia and India or the Master Plan for the Public Transportation System in Muscat (Oman).

Activities

Among the activities coordinated by MAFEX in 2013, we must highlight the IV International Railway Convention, which involved 46 institutions from 20 countries, and the collaboration agreement with Renfe to promote the Spanish railway sector abroad.

In 2013 MAFEX organised direct and inverse missions and meetings, with the participation of 105 companies and which have allowed contacting representatives from 20 countries. In addition, visits were made to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Spain, France, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Thailand, Indonesia and India.