Indra and Alstom España to install security and public safety systems in tunnels of Pajares section

A consortium between Indra and Alstom España will provide security and public safety systems for the Pajares section of the high-speed train line between Madrid and Asturias. This 44-km section connects the municipalities of La Robla in León and Pola de Lena in Asturias, and it includes the 25-km long Pajares tunnel. This will be the second longest tunnel in Spain (sixth in Europe) after Guadarrama, on the high-speed line between Madrid and Valladolid. The security and public safety systems of the latter tunnel are also the responsibility of a temporary consortium between these two companies.

The section between La Robla and Pola de Lena, known as the Pajares section, is a key infrastructure for the development of the new high-speed link between Northern and Northwestern Spain. The new high-speed line will shorten the distance between Asturias and Castile and León by 33 kilometers as compared to the current line.

The project has been awarded to a consortium between Indra (52.25%), Alstom España (42.75%) and Instalaciones Carlos Busto (5%) for a total of 36 million euros (including VAT). The contract also allows for system maintenance for a two-year period.

Indra and Alstom España are experienced partners in similar projects for the Spanish rail network. Specifically, infrastructure teams from both companies have equipped and maintained the electromechanical facilities in 32 tunnels along the high-speed line between Ourense and Santiago de Compostela, and have also maintained four tunnels along the line connecting Madrid and Valladolid (including Guadarrama, the longest tunnel in Spain at 28.8 km). Alstom España is also currently involved in maintaining the facilities in the Abdalajis tunnels, and covering the Málaga section of the high-speed rail line between this city and Córdoba.

About Indra

Indra has developed its own high-end technology for the railway sector, and has completed major international projects. The DaVinci system, developed in collaboration with Adif, has become the most advanced rail traffic management platform in the world. Indra is also committed to continued investment in innovation, as shown by the development of the innovative technological platform for rail security, InVITALRAIL. The system features cutting-edge hardware, combined with on-track and on-board systems compliant with Spain's digital ASFA and Europe's level 2 ERTMS standards.

Indra, chaired by Javier Monzón, is one of the world's largest consultancy and technology multinationals, a leader in Europe and Latin America and is expanding in other emerging economies. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business, which is highly focussed on the customer and on sustainability. The multinational is one of the leaders in its sector in Europe in terms of investment in R&D and innovation, having invested more than €570M in the last three years. With sales approaching €3,000 million, it employs 43,000 professional and has customers in 138 countries.

About Alstom

Alstom is a major industrial and technological group, a world leader in infrastructures for generating and transmitting electrical power, as well as rail transportation infrastructures. Alstom is a byword for innovative and environment-friendly technologies. Alstom builds the most advanced trains in the world and the highest capacity driverless metro. It also provides integrated turnkey solutions for power stations, as well as associated services for several energy sources such as hydroelectric, nuclear, gas, carbon and wind power. Additionally, it offers a wide range of solutions for electric power transmissions, with a particular focus on smart networks. The group employs 93,000 people in 100 countries, and its sales reached more than 20 billion euros in 2013-2014.

In Spain, Alstom has about 4,000 employees in more than 30 locations. The company owns five factories in Spain aimed at both the domestic and international markets. Alstom also has the world leading R+D center for wind power, and eight centers for the technological development of its other products and services.