The Council of Ministers authorised Renfe to create the state trading company Renfe International Projects (Renfe Proyectos Internacionales) as part of company’s strategic business plan approved in 2019.
After this authorisation, the constitution of the new area must be approved by the Board of Directors of Renfe Operadora, where its organisational structure will also be defined, as well as the incorporation of the different businesses that make up Renfe’s international activity.
Renfe International Projects will pave the way to company’s business transformation through the search for international opportunities. The strategic plan is also built on three fundamental pillars also covers the creation of a new organisational structure according to the company’s needs.
Renfe’s 2019-2023-2028 Strategic Plan set the company’s expansion internationally as its objective.To this end, in addition to high-speed projects, Renfe is studying open access or public service obligation projects in other markets, both in Europe and in the rest of the world.
Currently, Renfe participates in international projects in Europe, where it is the majority shareholder of the Czech operator Leo Express, as well as in the Rail Baltica project, in consortium with DB and Ineco for the operation of the railway line that will unite the three Baltic capitals with each other, and with the European rail network.
In addition, Renfe has started testing its AVE trains that will run between Spain and France, specifically on the Barcelona – Lyon and Madrid – Marseille railway lines. The start of these tests has been possible thanks to the fact that Renfe complies with all the safety requirements, and that after all the requirements demanded by the French Safety Agency (EPSF), it has obtained the certificate from the Railway Agency of the European Union (ERA).
Currently, Renfe has obtained the certificate to exclusively operate the lines to Lyon and Marseille, where it plans to start commercial services before the summer, and continues to develop the work to obtain the Safety Certificate to operate throughout France. Likewise, Renfe is part of the consortium of companies that has built and operates the high-speed line between Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, called the Haramain high-speed rail line.
On the American continent, Renfe has two large projects underway. The company is as a strategic partner of the Texas Central company to jointly develop the bullet train project between the cities of Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth. In 2020, Renfe has signed a USD 6 billion contract to operate the system for 16 years and to maintain the train fleet from 2026 until 2042.
In consortium with Ineco and DB Engineering & Consulting, Renfe is also developing the Maya Train project in Mexico. Renfe will be the shadow operator under a contract signed with the National Tourism Promotion Fund.
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