A rich rail transportation history and rapid growth of high-speed rail in Spain has encouraged Spanish companies to innovate in ways that allow these enterprises to compete internationally for rail construction and improvement projects.
- Tilting Trains – Tilting technology detects where and when the track curves and then tilts the train into the center of the curve to allow trains to travel at higher speeds through the curves.
- Gauge-Switching Systems – Spain’s leading rail companies created gauge-switching train systems which reduced gauge-switching time from an hour to four seconds.
- High-Speed Trains – Spanish companies began producing trains capable of reaching 124 miles per hour (200 kph) in the early 1980s and are leading suppliers of affordable high-speed locomotives. One company has even bench-tested a train that reached the record-breaking speed of 311 mph (500 kph).
- Integrated Control Systems – Spanish companies are integrating input from a complicated network of track sensors, signaling technology, radio transmitters, and computer systems to allow traffic control operators to know exactly where each train is at any given moment, while monitoring other types of information that prove crucial to the safe and efficient operation of the entire rail system.
- High-Tech Signaling – Signaling presents one of the greatest challenges in high-speed rail systems. Spanish companies are distinguishing themselves through innovative design of hardware, software, peripheral equipment and subsystems.
- Secure Rails – High-speed trains require rails that have fewer solder points and are made of metal that meets exacting standards. Spanish companies have developed innovative production facilities and testing equipment to increase the strength and security of the rail inside and out.
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