The three successful bidders are incumbent Renfe, the Ilsa consortium of Trenitalia and Air Nostrum, and Rielsfera, a subsidiary of French National Railways (SNCF). Three other bidders - the Talgo Globalia alliance, Globalvía ​​and Eco Rail - were unsuccessful.

Adif AV plans to sign the framework agreements before March 15 2020, subject to approval by Spain’s National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC). The three companies will be able to operate services with effect from December 14 2020 along the following routes:

  • Madrid - Barcelona - French border (Corridor 1)
  • Madrid - Valencia/Alicante (Corridor 2), and
  • Madrid - Seville/Málaga (Corridor 3).

As a result, Adif AV expects to see a 65% increase on the number of high-speed services currently provided by Renfe.

Packages

On each corridor, Adif has offered three packages of services. Package A is the largest accounting for 70% of services and has been awarded to Renfe. Package B representing 20% of services has gone to Ilsa, and Package C accounting for the remaining 10% has been awarded to Rielsfera.

On Corridor 1, package A comprises 48 daily services (three trains per hour per direction); B comprises 16 services (one train per hour per direction), and C comprises five services, (one train every three hours in each direction).

On Corridor 2, package A comprises 32 daily services (two trains per hour per direction); B comprises 16 services (one train per hour per direction); and C comprises four services (four trains a day in each direction).

On Corridor 3, package A comprises 48 daily services (three trains per hour per direction); B comprises 16 services (one train per hour per direction); and package C comprises four services (four trains a day in each direction).

The three operators will now have one year to prepare to launch the services. However, Ilsa says it will introduce its services using a fleet of Frecciarossa 1000 360km/h trains in January 2022.

“We will make available to Ilsa our know-how developed in 10 years of high-speed, competitive transport in Italy and ensure the best standards of rail transport for travellers in Spain,” says Mr Orazio Iacono, CEO of Trenitalia.

“This decision opens a new period of proximity and service quality to the user, a process that will provide the client with more attractive prices and a greater choice when travelling by train,” adds the president of Ilsa, Mr Carlos Bertomeu.

Adif AV says it considers the process of opening the high-speed passenger rail market a great success, and “confirms the enormous interest that the Spanish network for railway companies raises.”