The Council of Ministers has given the green light for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to put out to tender, through Adif, a contract for maintenance services, network operation, and renewal of the central systems of the GSM-R network, in addition to the centralized management of telecommunications and the central energy remote control system for the entire high-speed network. The contract will last for 48 months and has a budget of 181.3 million euros.
The file includes the maintenance, network operation, and updating of the GSM-R mobile telecommunications installations, fixed telecommunications, video surveillance systems, and access control, as well as the infrastructure necessary for mobile phone operators.
Likewise, it covers the energy remote control system for the following high-speed lines: Madrid-Valladolid; Madrid-Barcelona-French border, branches Zaragoza-Huesca and Camp de Tarragona-La Boella; Madrid-Valencia and Albacete-Albacete bifurcation; and Madrid-Sevilla, Córdoba-Málaga and La Sagra-Toledo branch.
The GSM-R telecommunications system (Global System for Mobile Communications-Railways) is the radio transmission standard adopted by the main European railway companies and enables communication between trains and the Traffic Regulation Center.
Fire prevention on the railway network
On the other hand, the Council has also authorized the tendering of a contract to remove vegetation on the railway platform and its margins and ditches using a herbicide train, for an amount of 13.5 million euros.
These actions prevent the harmful effects of vegetation on infrastructure, railway installations, and traffic, and minimize the risk of fire in the vicinity of the tracks.
The treatment for the removal of vegetation will be carried out with a herbicide train, whose intervention will reach both the platform and the ditches and margins. This technique will be applied on main tracks, connection branches, siding tracks, and at stations, maintenance bases, Train Passing and Parking Posts (PAET), and technical buildings, as well as any other facility linked to railway operations.
The action of the herbicide train will be completed with manual and mechanical non-phytosanitary work, which includes clearing, felling, and pruning in the areas that require it.