Spanish Railways New Train Operator!
THE Ilsa consortium comprising Italian national operator Trenitalia and Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum, has signed a 10-year framework agreement with Spanish high-speed infrastructure manager Adif AV to operate high-speed services in Spain.
Ilsa will operate services:
Madrid – Barcelona
Madrid – Valencia/Alicante
Madrid – Malaga/Seville
Operating 16 services per direction per day on each of the lines using a fleet of Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains from January 2022.
The framework agreement was signed after receiving approval from the Spain’s National Market and Competition Authority (CNMC) earlier this year. Under the agreement, the operator is allowed to enter the market from this December. However, Ilsa is using the additional time to prepare its fleet and to organise sales, operating and maintenance facilities.
Ilsa was one of three successful bidders selected in November 2019 after Adif AV offered three packages of services:
Package A is the largest accounting for 70% of services and has been awarded to Spanish incumbent operator Renfe.
Package B representing 20% of services has gone to Ilsa.
Package C accounting for the remaining 10% has been awarded to Rielsfera, a subsidiary of French National Railways (SNCF).
However, last month, CNMC curtailed Adif AV’s plan to award Renfe a 10-year contract for Package A, reducing it to five years. The authority said it agreed that the framework agreements should be for five years, unless associated contracts, special investment and the level of risk incurred by companies justified a longer term.
