The president of Ineco, Sergio Vázquez Torrón, was in charge of opening and closing the event
Ineco has organised, together with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and the State Railway Company (EFE), a technical conference in Santiago de Chile, focused on the present and future of the railway sector.
The president of Ineco, Sergio Vázquez Torrón, was in charge of opening and closing the event, which sought to strengthen alliances between Latin America and Spain and which provided continuity to the dialogues held in Madrid in June 2023. In his speech, Vázquez Torrón stressed that "since its beginnings, Ineco has had a strong vocation to collaborate with Latin America and to help governments to develop their major projects". He also stressed that "in the railway sector, Spain has developed a knowledge industry based on two pillars: talent and the development of skills on the public side and the collaboration of private companies". Key aspects for Spain to have managed to develop the most extensive high-speed network in the European Union with the lowest average construction cost, as stated in the Ineco report: "Efficiency of the Spanish Sector in the Development of High-Speed Rail".
In January, Ineco and CAF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of establishing a framework for collaboration to promote the development and competitiveness of the transport sector between Europe and Latin America.
The strategic role of the railways
During the conference, Ineco's support in Uruguay's central railway project was highlighted, which is key to railway sustainability in the country and in which Ineco has been collaborating since its beginnings, advising the Ministry of Transport and Public Works throughout the process. From the regulations, through the signalling and implementation of the automatic train protection system (ERTMS) to maintenance (since it was put into operation in August) the European model has played a leading role in this strategic project for Uruguay. According to Sonia Muñíz, Railway Technical Assistance manager at Ineco: "our role has been to accompany the Ministry throughout this stage, starting from a blank piece of paper and outlining the entire route to an efficient, safe and reliable operation".
Ineco also addressed the relevance of resilience and adaptation to climate change in the railway sector. The Climate Change & Energy Transition Manager, Elena Curto, highlighted the work that the company has been doing for more than ten years, collaborating with different public administrations to minimise its impact on the planet.
