The planned extension of the Cercanias from Fuengirola to Estepona has also been shelved...again!

Spain has just signed an agreement to technical cooperation with Israel, and hopes to win some big infrastructure deals (including a high speed rail line) that Israel intends to build. Some way to go yet, and there is strong competition from the French and Chinese.

http://zeenews.india.com/business/ne...medium=twitter

I believe I missed this one from November. Rail manufacturer CAF to supply trains to Rome metro

http://www.spanishrailwaysnews.com/n...ot=302&cs=repo

Seems CAF are currently gaining export contracts all over - they've partnered with Alstom for some orders now from Brazil

http://www.spanishrailwaysnews.com/n...ot=310&cs=repo

I don't particularly care how much the companies' shareholders are making out of export contracts. I just want them to keep my local service going.

Maybe you should open a thread on the subject if it concerns you?

Tell you what, I'll do it for you, as it does raise an interesting issue. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...8#post10448808

at what cost ??
are you prepared to pay towards the overall running costs of the station you use, which may mean the fare may jump by 400% ?

I understand that you may have to subsidise the loss making stations by cross subsidy from the profitable, but at what long term cost.
Remembering your business and you were making a huge loss on a particular meal every time you sold it, would you keep it or cross subsidise just to keep its place on the menu ??

RS Components, one of the largest electrical/electronic components company's in the UK/Europe if not the world, evaluates every product by its placing in their catalogue, by its sales and cost effectiveness against shelf stock/replenishment etc. If it don't sell it gets cut from the catalogue.
Simples.

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No railway in the world is profitable, it's just a question of how much subsidy is given. To make comparisons with a private sector supplier is meaningless unless you believe no subsidies should be given in which case you would wipe out most rail routes.

Zaragoza extends tram network
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/u...m-network.html

"Barcelona Metro Line 9 is set to become the longest automated metro line in Europe when construction work concludes in 2014."

http://www.railway-technology.com/pr...-metro-line-9/

A pity that the money thrown down the drain on uneconomical white elephant AVE networks couldn't have been used to keep services open for those who have real need of them.

As for these foreign contracts, they're still all pie in the sky until such time as successfully completed on budget and within schedule,..... unfortunately something for which the Spanish are not particularly renowned.

Little point trying to count chickens until they have brought home the bacon,...or not as the case may be.

Ronda valley ‘saved’ from railway freight scheme


http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-ne...reight-scheme/

Dick, I sat back waiting for someone to have a go about mixed metaphors, but obviously they aren't taking the bait.

however, the problem always is that people sitting in offices who don't use the services in question, be it car, rail, bus, even helicopter or aircraft, all make decisions on how they think it should look like, they claim experience ( usually previously failed "inititiatives" ) but in the end it is the actual user who has to put up with the mess made.

no Govt (local or central) project has been known to be completed on time on budget. Alterations are made along the way without any consideration for the cost - after all it is all Public Money, Not Theirs.
My old philosophy of "If it was your money would you spend that much??" usually works well, but having worked at companies where they pander to the staff attitude of "Its company money so lets have the solid gold instead of the plated gold" I know what will happen in the end.

and surprisingly to some (but not all) subsidies still abound in the UK despite having private operators.

but if no rail line is profitable then surely it should be closed - unless it is wholly owned and operated by Govt, who can then hide subsidies by "creative accounting"

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whilst Granada Metro still stutters along, still digging holes, still dumping concrete into those holes and what is it now ? 2 years over due ??

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Let´s hope the man that did the sums is not the same one that worked out the predicted number of users of the AVE, the autovias, the airports, the many failed vanity projects!