today it is winning contracts in Vietnam thanks to it

Ineco and Renfe have obtained the initial contract to develop Vietnam’s first high-speed linea 1,541-kilometer corridor between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh with a planned investment of 67 billion dollars. This macro project joins the long list of large railway constructions in which Spanish operators participate.

Why it is important. Vietnam joins an increasingly extensive list of countries that have chosen to trust Spanish railway companies to develop their high-speed networks. Let us remember that Renfe already has more than three decades of experience in the AVE and it is the second most extensive network in the world. after china.

The national market is saturated, for this reason and among other reasons, Spain has converted its railway model into a strategic export product. The contract in Vietnam comes after the visit of Pedro Sánchez to the Asian country last April, and is a symptom that the most important Spanish railway operators continue to have a presence in emerging markets.

A corridor that would pass through almost the entire coast of Vietnam. Image: Óscar Puente (X)

In detail. Ineco will lead the winning consortium together with the French company Artelia and the local RCIC, with Renfe Proyectos Internacionales as the main collaborator. Just like they count From El Economista, for more than ten months, the team will develop the technical, economic and operational feasibility study, in addition to the basic engineering that will define the scope, requirements and costs of the project.

Ineco will be in charge of the railway layout, civil works, tunnels, structures, electrical supply and BIM methodology. This work will be the key for the Vietnamese Government to decide on the next phases of the project.

A list that never stops growing. The Vietnam project joins a long list of railway projects outside Spain. The best known case is the Haramain High Speed ​​Railway in Saudi Arabia, where a consortium led by Spanish companies built and operates the 450 kilometers between Mecca and Medina.

But the list is extensive: Renfe operates international services in France, Talgo has supplied high-speed trains to Uzbekistan and is present in the German market with a framework contract for up to 65 trains for FlixTrain, CAF manufactures rolling stock for Morocco, and Ineco and Renfe participate in projects such as Rail Baltica in the Baltic countries or the Dallas-Houston corridor in the United States. There is also collaboration on the Mexican Mayan Train and technical advice in multiple markets.

Between the lines. The strategy combines public and private presence. Ineco currently has 134 contracts in 34 countries, and Renfe seeks 10% of its income to come from international markets in 2028, as account the middle. The public operator already has a presence in Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, Mexico and the United States, and has recently closed a strategic alliance with Central Japan Railway to compete together in high-speed projects.

Since the beginning of the AVE. Spain began its commitment to high-speed rail in the early 1990s, with the inauguration of the Madrid-Seville AVE in 1992, and since then it has developed an extensive network and notable technical capacity in rail planning, construction and operation. Much of the reason why Spanish companies and public organizations have been able to successfully participate in international projects has been thanks to this accumulated experience of more than three decades.

And now what. The next step will be to check if any Spanish operator or construction company also manages to position itself for the construction and operation phase of the Vietnamese AVE, the ballots are there. Furthermore, the Spanish presence in Asia continues to grow: Ineco maintains an office in Singapore, has worked in Malaysia and as well as indicates El Economista also shows interest in Thailand and Japan.

The project would open its doors to a market of more than 100 million inhabitants. Óscar Puente has not hesitated either show your chest on social networksalthough it is truly true that Spanish companies are having an increasing presence in railway projects of such magnitude at an international level.

Cover image | Sam Williams and Kabelleger / David Gubler

In Xataka | Ten years ago, seeing the blue sky of Beijing was nothing short of a pipe dream. Until electric cars arrived