Renfe is choking the liberalization of high speed. With vicinity you have another plan: delay it as much as possible

Spain has to liberalize the vicinity service. Not because the government wants, because it is a European commandment since the fourth rail package was approved, back in 2016. However, Spain is resisting as much as possible to apply these changes. Now, the CNMC has notified again: it touches liberalization. Obligated. Yes, Spain is obliged to liberalize the vicinity service. In fact, I was obliged that, as afternoon, on December 25, 2023, all services were tendered through public tender. Last year, in 2024, contracts should have been awarded. At least, if the deadlines had been met since In 2016 the fourth rail package will be approved. Last year, in the last part of the year, The CNMC pointed out which had “launched a public consultation to gather information on public traveler transport services on rail (near and medium distance) and their next tender.” The previous deadlines could be extended as long as there is already a contract in force on the previous dates. In secret? That detail about the deadlines is important. According to ABCthe current Renfe contract extended from 2018 to 2027. Arrived 2026, at least 3% of the value of the contract related to the Cercanías service should be taken to public tender. However, they say in the newspaper that the Government and Renfe signed (without making it public) an adend to the current contract to delay this first step of liberalization to 2028. The intention is, therefore, to maintain the service of nearby in possession of Renfe. It calculates this means that the value of that 3% of the contract now exceeds 1,000 million euros. What dates are handled? If everything follows its course and there are no more news, the intention is that the liberalization of the service begins in 2028. First with a pilot test, they explain in The economistwhich would last until 2033. From then on, liberalization should be definitive. To carry out this addendum, it was assured that “it has not been possible to determine the public service obligations that will be bidding before January 1, 2026”. Therefore, this extension was signed in the contract that takes liberalization for a year beyond what was initially planned when it was expected that Cercanías would have been liberalized in 2032. Although the Government was already aware that in 2023 this fourth European rail package began to apply that is committed to liberalization, in 2018 signed the agreement with Renfe that maintains its monopoly until the next decade entry. It is not the first time. The delay in the liberalization of vicinity is not the only case in which the government moves in gray spaces for the liberalization of a rail service. Nor Óscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, has been in favor of this type of interventions. In the Madrid-Galicia line, for example, great results are being achieved for Renfe, to the point they have managed to do Go back the offering of airline tickets. However, the government knows that Renfe will keep the monopoly for a while in the corridor since the particularity of the road jump forces to produce very specific trains that Renfe has monopolized. Now companies like Ouigo have a huge waiting list if they want their own. And as we said, Bridge has been the first to criticize the system. He points out that as Renfe has the obligation to operate as a public service is at a disadvantage because Ouigo or Iryo, the two companies that have entered to work in Spain, can choose the most profitable runners but Renfe is obliged to serve in, for example, the Madrid-Extermadura line that is less profitable. Damage. The arrival of Ouigo and Iro to the Spanish railways has hurt Renfe, especially as far as prices are concerned. Yes it is true that Puente does not lack reason when it points out that, really, the three companies do not operate in exactly the same conditions but also should be remembered other data. The arrival of both companies has punctured the bubble of the High speed prices by train. Never before has it moved so much volume of passengers in this type of lines but we must bear in mind that, since the arrival of the French and Italian company, prices have fallen and have never been so cheap. Are there cases in Europe? Yes, Spain would not be the first country to liberalize its vicinity services although there are important nuances because the prominence of the companies that until they were not so long ago is very strong. In Germany, Berlin S-Bahn that operates 15 lines was awarded in 2021 through public tender … which took a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (the German Renfe). However, The Saale-Thüringen-Südharz network (STS) It has 575 kilometers operated by Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland GmbH, a private operator. In France, Renfe lost the tender in the Nantes-Burdeos and Nantes-Lyon who took SNCF (the French Renfe). In the Italian Piedmont, Renfe has managed partially. However, in the United Kingdom they have had a liberalized system for decades. Now, tired of the bad state of trains and the bad service offered The government is trying to reverse the situation and return to a monopoly to resume public service reins. Photo | Germán Poo-Caamaño and Jornal.cat In Xataka | With high speed in war, the French owner of Ouigo and Renfe are already preparing for the following battle: Cercanías

Less weight, more speed and augmented reality helmets

China has seen during the essays of its great military parade a new combat car that breaks with the established. It appears to be lighter and mobility oriented. Mainly he has drawn attention for his aesthetics and for visible technological details in the disseminated photographs. American sources As Chinese identify him as ZTZ-201an “middle tank” that aims to combine advanced electronics, active defense and possible hybrid mobility. For now, what is known proceeds exclusively from indirect observation. The alleged ZTZ-201 has been photographed during the essays of the event that will be held on September 3 in Beijing, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Its identification and technical characteristics, from weight to propulsion, come from Osint Fuentes. At the moment, it is a visible armored, not a formally presented system. What changes. Army Recognition points out That the most relevant is not the shape of the armor, but the category to which it points: an average tank with modular design, capable of assuming different configurations according to the operational environment. This flexibility, unusual in armored vehicles, suggests a change in the way of understanding the role of the combat car. Instead of designing a closed system for all scenarios, it is committed to a base platform that can adapt and evolve more quickly. A hybrid vehicle? Defense Blog adds other details. The vehicle would use a diesel-electric train of more than 1,500 horsepower of combined power. Beyond the speed, the relevant of this architecture would be its use in pure electrical mode for covert operations or silent displacements, especially in urban environments. This modality would reduce noise, thermal signature and fuel consumption in specific missions. Ambitious weapons system. We are facing a shielded that would bet on a new generation 105 mm caliber. The initial velocity of certain APFSD projectiles is estimated at 1,706 m/s, a figure that, in theoretical terms, could bring its energy closer to that of largest guns. However, this equivalence is only indicative: there are no public ballistic evidence that supports a real equivalence in penetration or terminal effects. One of the most significant aspects of the armor observed in the trials is its approach to electronic protection. Some images disseminated in Weibo and other networks show Perimeter sensors distributed in the chassis. These devices would probably be connected to an Active GL system, for which there are precedents In public tests of the G-6 intercepting ammunition released from drones. In the upper part there is also a remote weapons station that would be oriented to face aerial threats, including FPV drones. What to look at September 3. The military parade in Beijing could clear several unknowns. Among them, the official name of the vehicle, its technical file, the confirmation of the hybrid system and the armament used. It will also be relevant to know if some increased reality helmets are part of the operational equipment. The sensor configuration, the remote tower and the active defense could offer more clues if the armor occurs in detail. For now, everything indicates that it will be one of the main foci of the event. With or without formal presentation, what China has seen is already significant. The appearance of an average tank with modular architecture and perimeter sensors marks a possible inflection in the evolution of the battleship. In the absence of official data, everything indicates that the ZTZ-201 is not a simple technical exercise, but one more piece in the transformation of the Chinese army. Images | Weibo @恩宇- In Xataka | We have been reading rumors about amazing robotic prototypes in the war in Ukraine for years. Today we know they are real

Ukraine is seeing objects at 500 km/h. Russia has turned its most lethal weapon into a monster at cruise speed

At this point in the contest it has been clearly clear that, it is not that the war is asymmetric, it is that Russia is attacking Shaheds of thermobárica load and Ukraine with pellets. That reality, in addition, is practically modified every week At a rhythm of updates difficult to continue. The latest: Ukraine radars have begun to see swarins at cruise speed, but they are not missiles. Again the shaheds. Yes, Russia has introduced into its attacks against Ukraine Reaction version of the Kamikaze Shahed drones, model Shahed-238whose benefits (speeds of up to 600 km/haltitudes of almost 10 km and a radar signal similar to that of a cruise missile) make them much more difficult to intercept than the Helix Shahed-136. These drones, with an explosive load of about 50 kg and an estimated range 1,000 to 2,000 km According to the variant, they are practically untouchable for mobile groups with light weapons, cannons or electrical interceptors drones. His deployment in the last mass attack, which left At least 13 dead And more than 130 injured, is a qualitative leap in the Russian capacity to saturate Ukrainian defenses and force the use of expensive Earth-Aire missiles, such as The Nasams either Patriotwhose price can reach Millions of dollars per unit. Tactical impact and adaptation. The introduction of the Shahed-238 seems to be part of A Russian strategy To prove the effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones, developed from high performance FPVs used against recognition aircraft. The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, recognized that Russia is integrating countermeasures to make fun of these interceptors, which forces Ukraine to adjust tactics daily. Despite the goal of producing A thousand daily interceptorsscalability is limited by Russian attacks on factories, supply problems and the need to constantly relocate production. Ukrainian experts They point That this deployment could seek not so much the direct destruction of strategic objectives such as the wear of the inventory of long -range anti -aircraft missiles, leaving the space open to more destructive weapons. Production limitations. They counted the Twz analysts that, although Russia currently produces some 2,000 Shahed-136 per month And it aspires to reach 5,000, the manufacture of the Shahed-238 is more COmpleja and expensive. Their speeds demand more resistant fuselages, more precise guidance systems and high -cost turbojet engines, which restricts its scalability and diverts resources from the production of simpler models. The dependence of foreign componentsespecially from Chinait could be decisive to sustain or expand production. These limitations suggest that, at least in the short term, Russia will use the Shahed-238 in a combined way with large waves of Shahed-136, creating staggered attacks that saturate defensive systems. Perspectives and threats. The arrival of the Shahed-238 raises a Operational and economic dilemma To Ukraine: neutralize them with Sam missiles long -range is an unsustainable expense, while the most affordable solutions, such as unmanned interceptors, have not yet demonstrated full efficacy against this threat. In the short term, Russia’s most likely tactics aims to combine them with Great Shahed-136 waves To overload the defensive system, forcing to disperse resources and increasing the probability that other more powerful weapons reach their objectives. If Moscow manages to maintain a constant flow, even if it is limited, of these reaction drones, they could become a key element to weaken the Ukrainian defenses and open space to more devastating aerial offensives, thus consolidating a new technological front in the war. Image | PicrylMasoud Shahrestani / Wikimedia In Xataka | Russia’s most advanced nuclear submarine was a secret. Until Ukraine has revealed everything, even his failures In Xataka | It is not that Russia does not find the F-16 of Ukraine, is that kyiv has discovered the perfect hiding place for the future of wars

We have been talking about high speed between Lisbon and Madrid for years. Portugal is looking elsewhere: Galicia

Galicia and Portugal share cultural, economic ties and a intense very intense cars flow forced to circulate on one of the highways more dangerous from Spain. That last could change in a few years. Portugal has activated His administrative machinery to build the first high speed between Aveiro and Porto, a key piece of the Lisboa-Oporto railway corridor that looks beyond Portugal and aspires to link with Galicia. With the echoes of the debate of whether Lisbon, high speed must be prioritized with Madrid or Galicia, the public body infrastructure of Portugal (IP) is very light: Aspires to link Lisbon with Vigo and A Coruña to leave a population bag of 11 million people only three hours from the Portuguese capital. What happened? That Portugal has just given A key step For the implementation of the Lisbon-Porto high speed line, a railway corridor that will link the two main cities of the country and will continue north to the border with Galicia. A few days ago IP and Advance Norte- Gestão Da Ferrovia de High Speede signed A concession contract of the first high speed between Lisbon and Porto: 71 km between Porto and Oiãin the Aveiro district. What exactly agreed? What they signed is a concession and financing contract, which in turn clears the design, construction and maintenance of the Porto section to Oiã for 30 years. “When it is finished, it will allow the connection between Lisbon and Porto in an hour and 15 minutes, with an expected use of almost ten million passengers a year,” Clarify Carlo Fernandes, from IP. In addition to the 71 kilometers of line, the project will incorporate a station in Vila Nova de Gaia, a bridge over the Duero and an electrical substation in Strare. And what about investment? The signing of the agreement also served to present the financing agreement between Advo Norte and the European Investment Bank (BEI) for 875 million euros, part of the global loan of 3,000 million euros approved in 2024 by the BEI to support the new line. Vigo lighthouse It states that in the first phase the Next Generation funds will also contribute 447 million. “This is a true turning point,” Celebrate Nadia Calviñoformer Minister of Economy and current president of the BEI. And why is it important? Because those 71 km are the first step of a much more ambitious race, the first phase of the new Lisbon-Support line. In total that initial corridor will be extended 143 km Between the Porto-Campanhã and Soubo station, in Coimbra. The high -speed corridor between the two major cities of Portugal, Lisbon and Porto, is divided into several phases that extend to Oiã, from that town to the district of Coimbra and the latter to the Lisbon area. A few months ago, In MayInfrastructure of Portugal also guaranteed that its objective is that the works for the new line between Braga and Valença do Minho, already at the northern end of the country, touching the border with the south of Galicia, start in 2028 and that the infrastructure is completed shortly after, in 2032. But … how does Spain affect? How important is the future high -speed future line between Lisbon and Porto or plans to extend the infrastructure even further north of the country? Simple. Procedures such as that of a few days ago, which seems to have cleared the future of the Porto-Oiã section, gradually shaping the new railway axis that will link the Portuguese capital with the north of the country and, ultimately, will link with the Galician rail service. It is not theory. Although the project takes time on the table and over the last years has taken both steps forward and backwards, the high speed connection with Galicia is linked to the development of the Lisbon-Oporto corridor. It He has made clear Fernandes himself, vice president of IP: “We will get with the Lisbon-Porto-Vigo axis to place A Coruña and about 11 million inhabitants at a distance of three hours from Lisbon.” The objective is not only to connect the lusas (large and intermediate) cities but to extend through the Atlantic strip. Is it the only project? No. The Lisbon-Porto High Speed Line and its connection with Galicia has been on the table, but in the neighboring country they handle another key project: the corridor Between Lisbon and Madrid. What is a priority? Which one is most interested in Spain? And to Portugal? In the past both countries have signs that their answers to those questions do not always coincide. During the summit Hispanic-2004 The Spanish government promised to “boost high speed between Madrid and Lisbon by 2030”. On the section of Porto to Vigo, assured “Share with the Portuguese Executive the commitment of 2032”. For the Portuguese president, Luis Montenegro, things seem to be somewhat different. After the bilateral assembly, he wanted to “make clear” that his “priority” is the Galician connection and that Madrid is actually a “second priority.” Is it the first time that happens? At all. It is not the first time that dissonance is revealed. In 2020, with António Costa in the Portuguese Government, it was even clearer when after the XXXI Hispanic Summit the Minister of Cohesion Territory, Ana Abrunhosa, left black on white Your posture. “Our priority is not the connection between Madrid and Lisbon because from Madrid to Lisbon we go by plane. We already have connection. Our priority is the Lisbon Atlantic Axis, Porto and Vigo”, He stressed Abrunhosablunt. Galicia and Portugal share economic ties and an intense flow of vehicles, which converts the A-55 highway, into Vigo, into The great door for filmed traffic between both countries. The Lisbon-Madrid connection that would limit the three-hour trip is expected a priori by 2034. Images | John Worth (Flickr), Nuno Morão (Flickr) and Infrastruturas of Portugal In Xataka | Renfe has just published his first punctuality report. Result: the bird is not punctual

The bird to Andalusia has stopped again. This time he has touched Malaga in an July to forget at high speed

The president of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia said, just a few days ago that Renfe “tried not to leave anyone behind.” Only a few months ago, Oscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, took a breast out of the company’s punctuality. Yesterday, the high speed line in Malaga suffered delays again. It is the last case in a summer that seems to accumulate problems. The latest. The detachment of a vault and water leaks. That is the reason why the bird was delayed yesterday on its way to Malaga. They point out in The worldthat the problem was in an aquifer that borders the tunnel and that caused the filtering of water. Quickly, Adif went out to make clear that the structure of the tunnel and official sources were not compromised indicated to local media as South newspaper that no cut in the line had occurred or the passengers had to be evacuated. Everything was solved taking the trains to the farthest path of the affected wall. “Minimum affectation”. With these words, according to COPERenfe defined the impact that this last incidence has had. The company assured that the delay did not exceed half an hour and that it was because the trains had to circulate at low speed and in a unique way. For the Popular Party it is a “negligent action” that should force Pedro Sánchez, president of the Government, to face. Beyond political proclamations, the truth is that the Malaga case is the last one of a summer in which Adif and Renfe are focusing the debate on the reliability of their service. Click on the image to go to the original tweet The eyes set in Adif. The involvement in the high speed line was taken yesterday by Renfe but also ouigo and Iro. It has been in Adif in whom they have put their eyes since they are responsible for the maintenance of the roads. In fact, in Malaga today They remember that that of the aquifer is a problem that has been maintained since 2005 when the works “pricked” the same and since then Adif pays compensation to the neighbors for the damages caused. José Ramón Carmona, general secretary of the PP of Malaga, pointed out that the problem is the “investment abandonment and the absence of maintenance in the rail network that entails a serious infrastructure degradation.” The situation is delicate because the leaks of these aquifers directly affect the Abdalajís Valley, where the tunnel was built. They explain in eldiario.es That the tunnel was built with a stagnant lining, formed by a reinforced concrete ring inside by prefabricated dovelas. It has a thickness of 35 centimeters and concrete of different resistance was used in two different sections to avoid leaks while releasing the pressure that water can cause. A summer to forget. Adif claims begin to be constant in a summer that is being to forget. The most controversial case focused the looks the first days of July when A train was stopped 13 hours On the tracks, without assistance and with an old woman who ended at the hospital. So, The Government and Adif They pointed out that the problem was originated by an ouigo train whose fault resulted in a domino effect that ended with the Renfe train abandoned to its fate. In Ouigo they pointed that nothing would have happened if Adif had maintained the facilities correctly. And Adif defended himself by ensuring that they would put an ongoing plan to solve the possible problems in their catenaries. Days later, A train stopped In Toledo for a problem in the infrastructure, which once again stopped travel between Madrid and Andalusia. Beyond Adif. To problems directly linked to Adif, other incidents that have stopped circulation in recent months or weeks must be added. We have had delays and cancellations for uncontrollable phenomena such as torrential rains either Fire next to the tracks But also for him copper theft which came to derive in the collapse of the Andalusian bird and in the accusation of Boicot by Óscar Puente, Minister of Transportation. Balls out. In spite of everything, the leaders of Renfe and the bridge itself have long since defended that the train situation is not as bad as we imagine (or we see). RENFE President himself He presumed days agopointing out that the company is among the best in Europe and criticized those who defined the last days as “rail chaos”. In December 2024, Bridge defended exactly the same in a session in the Congress of Deputies. The truth is that passengers do not seem to see it like this and have negatively highlighted Renfe’s performance in recent months. Renfe also has expanded the times To return the money in case of delay. And in The confidential They collected how delays in high Spanish speed have shot themselves in recent years. Photo | Falk2 and Adif In Xataka | Two years after Renfe competition entered, the data indicate something: trains are cheaper than ever

China built the largest high speed network in record time. Now you want something more difficult: improve it

China has already shown that you can do what no other country has achieved: display in record time The largest high speed network on the planet. But it is not enough to have it. The new challenge is even more complex: to improve it, make it more efficient, more connected, more useful for the economy. And that demands less colorful, but equally ambitious decisions. To grow quickly to grow well. Between 2021 and 2024, China added 10,000 Kilometers of track to your high speed network. The figure impresses, but it is no longer what defines success. The Ministry of Transportation has made it clear that the current objective is not to extend the railway map without pause, but to squeeze its potential. In fact, The country has set As a goal to reach 50,000 operating kilometers before the end of 2025. The network adds 48,000 kilometers, more than 70 % of the world total, and connects 97 % of cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. Millions of travelers, but there is still a margin of improvement. Only in the first half of 2025, Chinese high -speed trains They transported 2,240 million people. The figure impresses, but the authorities are not formed. The objective now is to make this system more comfortable, more predictable and better coordinated with the rest of the transport ecosystem, from the urban metro to airports. High speed yes, but also logistics. China wants its high -speed trains to cease to be just a solution for travelers. The new approach includes routes adapted to the transport of goods, interconnections with airports and sea nodes, and improvements to integrate the system into the production chain. What is at stake is no longer only mobility, but the country’s competitiveness. Beyond traditional rails. While the current network is kept, China develops new generations of trains, such as magnetic levitation. These advances do not seek to replace what is built, but prepare for a future where speed, autonomy and sustainability are key. The country has already tried prototypes that reach 600 km/h In cities like Qingdao. Figures that impress. Security that holds. Moving millions every day with punctuality is an achievement. Doing it without major incidents, for years, it is even more. China has built a network that not only runs quickly, but aims to resist earthquakes, storms and overloads. According to Xinhuasince 2012 no serious accident has been registered in the high speed network. Centralized planning. Faced with chronic delays that affect many countries, China has maintained a clear strategy: centralized decisions, sustained investment and state control of the process. It is not a perfect model – there are errors, cost overruns and debatable decisions. But its results in deployment and integration are difficult to ignore. A mature network, a major challenge. As we have seen, the Asian giant continues to expand its network, especially towards interior and less connected regions. However, it is no longer just about adding cities to the map. The real challenge is another: to ensure that a gigantic infrastructure works better and better, with less margin of error and more logistics demands. The stage of the big deployments is giving way to the stage of precision. Images | N509FZ (Wikimedia Commons – CC by-SA 4.0) | N509FZ In Xataka | China has not only created the world’s broader high -speed network: it wants to operate it at 1,000 km/Hy has taken a new step

Japan is reconquesting at full speed the chips industry. He has just manufactured his first 2 nm transistor

Rapidus corporation It has just officialized A very important achievement: it has successfully manufactured its first 2 nm transist. It is very unusual for a company based just three years ago already stepping on the heels to the three giants of the semiconductor production industry: TSMC, Intel and Samsung. These companies plan to start Large scale manufacturing of 2 nm chips During the second semester of 2025, and, although Rapidus is not yet ready to manufacture this type of integrated circuits, the speed with which it is reaching intimidated milestones. This last company is with Tokyo Electron and JSR Corporation the best option in Japan for recover relevance which he had in the semiconductor industry in the 80 They monopolized in 1988 Nothing less than 50% of the chips industry. However, today none of these companies is positioned among the leaders of a sector dominated with iron fist by Taiwanese, American, Chinese, South Korean and German companies. Rapidus is fulfilling its promises one by one The latest generation semiconductor production plant that this company has put up in northern Japan, in the city of Chitose (Hokkaido), started the wafer processing tests in a pilot line. The directive plan of this factory is to start large -scale production of 2 Nm semiconductors in 2027, and is perfectly credible. In fact, the milestone that has just announced invites us to anticipate that they could even manufacture these chips massively before the end of 2026, although it is only a conjecture. Rapidus is a very young company. It was founded on August 10, 2022 by the Japanese government with an initial capital of 7,346 million yen (Something less than 46 million euros) contributed by, and here comes the interesting, Sony, Toyota, Nec, Softbank, Kioxia, Denso, Nippon Telegraph and MUFG Bank. The initial capital invested in the constitution of this company is not very bulky, but there is no doubt that the companies that participate in it They have an indisputable relevance in the sectors of technology, automotive and telecommunications. The purpose of Rapidus is to tune an automated production line that will be specialized in the manufacture of 2 Nm chips for AI applications The relevance of this organization, in any case, lies in the role entrusted to him by the government currently led by Shigeru ishiba. And, as I mentioned a few lines above, this is the company with which Japan aspires to recover competitiveness in the semiconductor manufacturing industry that had three decades ago. Its economy is at stake. In fact, this Asian country began to deploy its strategy to reinforce its integrated circuit industry more than two years ago, so the first results begin to see the light. What is causing the new Rapidus factory to monopolize the looks of the semiconductor sector is that, According to Atsuyoshi Koikewhich is the president of the company, will be completely automated. Its purpose is to resort to robots and artificial intelligence (AI) to set up An automated production line which will be specialized in the manufacture of 2 Nm chips for AI applications. Its plan consists, in short, to produce integrated circuits faster, with a lower and more quality cost. To manufacture these semiconductors, equipment of extreme ultraviolet lithography (UVE) produced by the Dutch company ASML, and practically all manufacturing processes are automatic. However, the tests of test and validation, interconnection and packaging of the chips are still largely carried out manually in most manufacturing plants. According to Rapidus, its automation technology of all these processes will allow you to reduce the delivery time of your chips by 66% compared to the times they usually offer TSMC and Samsung. More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | Japan takes the initiative with nuclear fusion and sets an extremely ambitious date: the 2030s In Xataka | Japan has taken the carrier to dominate the chips industry. Prepare a 325,000 million dollar plan

China wanted to be the queen of high -speed trains. So he built all the longest bridges in the world

Although Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are immersed in a war for have the highest skyscrapers in the worldwhen we talk about megaconstructions, there is no one to have China. It doesn’t matter if we talk about tunnels, Dams, roads and even half -skyscraper. And, when we talk about bridges, there yes There is no rival. From time to time They complete a new pharaonic bridgebut if there is something that shows China’s muscle about it, they are the bridges of the Beijing-Shanghái line. Because it is in it where the three longest bridges are located in the world. Massive and … boring? He Great Danyang-Kunshan bridge It is the longest bridge in the world. It measures just over 164 kilometers and can also be the most boring bridge in the world. The reason is that it is a bridge in which functionality prevailed. It is part of the high -speed network that joins Beijing and Shanghai and in its construction, 10,000 workers used 450,000 tons of steel and 2.3 million m3 of concrete to give life to a structure that had to endure possible ships of ships and the impact of earthquakes. It has 2,000 pillars, 22 tunnels, it has an average altitude of just over 30 meters and trains circulate at a speed of more than 320 km/h. Declaration of intentions. The most striking thing is that it only took four years to complete the work. It is an achievement if we consider that other bridges, such as the Constitution of Cádizthey took more than seven years for about three kilometers. They began in 2006 and the works were completed in 2010, inaugurating both the bridge and the line in 2011. The investment? 8,500 million dollars, and although in later bridges we have seen an aesthetic intention by the engineers, that of Danyang-Kunshan was a declaration of intentions. It became a global reference in rail engineering, but above all in a sample of the Technological advance of the country when undertaking the Infrastructure construction large scale in record time. It is something that has also attracted attention to subsequent works, the speed at which things do, especially, in many occasions of works of great complexity. In dark red, the bridge. In clear red, part of the full line Beijing-Shanghai, a monster. Because although this bridge Have the Guiness record in length and it was an important technical advance, the most imposing thing is that it is only a piece of the puzzle that supposes the high -speed line Between Beijing and Shanghai. It is a connection with a length of 1,318 kilometers and, apart from that of Danyang-Kunshan, there are three other bridges that are on the list of the 10 longest in the world. He Great Bridge of Cangde measures 115.9 kilometers and the Great Tianjin Bridge It “stays” at 113.7 kilometers. The three are the longest in the world, and in the seventh place on the list is the Great Bridge of Beijingwith 48.2 kilometers. The four were completed for the inauguration of the line in 2011, assuming a pharaonic work and, in total, representing a third of the total line length. The artificial island of the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, which is a bridge over the water until it becomes a submarine “bridge” It is called obsession. Because, if we look at the list of the longest trains in the world, China is a constant, monopolizing with eight structures the top ten positions. Not only are they very long bridges to house train lines (the Weinan Weije It has 102.7 kilometers, but it is not from the Beijing-Shanghai line), also for roads. The fifth longest bridge in the world is Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macaohe longest maritime bridge With 55 kilometers (and, this yes, quite attractive), the eighth of the list is the Quingdao Haiwanwith another 44.5 kilometers of road and the tenth is the bridge of line 1 of the Wuhan Metro with 37.7 kilometers. Within those positions of honor, we only find a 54 -kilometer Thai bridge, the Band Na Expresswayand the Lake Pontchartrain Road in the United States with 38.4 kilometers. Images | Mnxanl(2) Pechristener, Highestbridges In Xataka | Three highways, 20 access ramps: China has the most diabolical exchanger in the world in Huangjuewan

Iran has found the antidote to the Israeli iron dome. Is called Fattah and overcomes the speed of sound

Iran found A weakness In systems of Israeli defense. His offensive was focusing on the use of unconventional threats marked by Shahed drone swarms whose combat loss was very small compared to the missile cost to tear them down. Israel’s response was swift: fronts to unmanned devices He launched the Sarafcombat helicopters. Now the conflict has entered a new “hypersonic” phase. A hypersonic missile. On June 18, Iran marked a milestone in his confrontation with Israel to launch Your ballistic missile Hypersonic Fattahcapable of reaching at least match 5 speeds (and estimated, According to Iranbetween Mach 13 and Mach 15). This projectile, solid fuel, guided with precision and equipped with a mobile nozzle in its second stage, He managed to cross Israeli antimisile defense systems in what was defined by the body of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (CGRI) as a “turning point” in the Operation “True Promise III”already in its eleventh phase. Not just that. Iran He presented the Fattah As a symbol of the end of Israeli aerial invulnerability, stressing that its deployment represents a direct blow to the dissuasive capacity of Tel Aviv. The initial reports indicated FIRE AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGES in areas of the center of Israel as a direct consequence of the impact. Characteristics and innovation. The Fattaah missile represents one of the most ambitious bets of the Iranian Aerospace Program. It was presented officially in 2023 as a national technological revolution. With a scope 1,400 kilometers And a maneuvering capacity both inside and outside the atmosphere, this missile was designed to effectively avoid conventional defensive systems. In that sense, its design is key, which incorporates A re -entry vehicle maneuverable (Marv), which allows you to change direction in the final phases of your trajectory to evade aerial defenses. Your solid fuel engine gives you an immediate response to the launch and your advanced guide system, as we said, next to an orientable thrust nozzle, allows you to execute unpredictable maneuvers that hinder your interception. Unlike traditional missiles, its trajectory can vary dynamically during the flight, which makes it a practically unattainable goal for air defenses that depend on predictable trajectories. A fattah missile National symbol. The missile is much more in National Key. In fact, he was baptized by the leader himself, Ayatolá Ali Jameneí, who also made him a propaganda symbol With the phrase “400 seconds to Tel Aviv” printed In Hebrew on a banner hanging in Tehran. During the Mass attack of October 1, 2024, several fattah-1 missiles already They had been thrown Against Jerusalem, but its recent use in the current context marks the first time that on the current conflict is incorporated tactically. The weapon also It is described by the body of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as the “Israel’s beating.” The “hypersonic” club. The news has other readings. With the deployment of fattaah, Iran becomes In the fourth country in having and using hypersonic technology, adding to Russia, China and India. Each of these powers has developed Your own models with different characteristics in terms of launch platform, autonomy, type of propulsion and guidance mechanisms. The Iranian variant stands out for its Structural simplicity (solid propulsion in two stages) and its apparent tactical effectiveness. Plus: The ability to overcome multiple layers of Israeli defense during this phase of attacks positions Iran as an increasingly sophisticated actor in the field of ballistic deterrence. The Israeli answer. If the response to the Shahed were the Saraf, the Israeli reaction to the attack with hypersonic missiles has not been waiting. In the following hours, Tel Aviv launched a new OLADA DE BOMBARDEOS on military objectives in Iranian territory, intensifying a dynamic of cross retaliation that already adds seven consecutive days. Among the whites attacked They were included Five military helicopters at a base in Kermanshah, a land-land missile production installation, a war manufacturing center and a centrifuged plantwhich shows that Israel seeks to weaken both conventional capacity and Iranian nuclear infrastructure. The explosions felt even In the Iranian capitalevidencing that the Israeli campaign has expanded its spectrum of action and now points to nerve centers of Persian military power. Strategic implications. The last of the legs to analyze has to do with how the board changes in regional dynamics. The Fattah irruption In the battlefield it introduces a new destabilization factor in a complex conflict already. Beyond military symbolism, its effective use undermines confidence in Israeli defensive systemsconsidered among the most advanced in the world. This vulnerability could force Israel to reassess its air defense architecture and, at the regional level, it could alter the strategic calculations of other actors that until now considered unfeasible to directly challenge the aerial power of Tel Aviv. In addition, the fact that Iran can deploy missiles of this class from within its own territory gives it a significant operational advantage, reducing the need to depend on regional allies to execute long -range attacks. More technological and asymmetric. As In Ukrainethe crossing of attacks between Iran and Israel, more and more sophisticated, illustrates the evolution of modern conflicts towards scenarios where technological deterrence is A determining weight. While Israel maintains the Air Supreme Thanks to its fleet of F-35I and F-15 fightersas well as its operational experience, the appearance of weapons Like fattah Reduces its strategic advantage margin. Iran, limited in its conventional Air Force, has opted to compensate for its inferiority with the development of ballistic missiles and Advanced dronesin a wear war in which each new system can redefine the momentary balance. The Operation “True Promise III”therefore, it is not only a reprisal campaign, but an essay for a new Iranian doctrine based on speed, precision and unforeseen penetration. Image | HeuteHossein Zohrevand, Amin Ahoui In Xataka | Ukraine was the anticipation of what Israel has done: war is no longer a thing of fighters or missiles, but something much cheaper In Xataka | If the question is how much the iron dome of Israel can endure, the answer is simple: much more … Read more

Without tolls, the AP-7 has become hell. The solution passes through speed limits of 60 km/h

The AP-7 is known as the Mediterranean highway. It is an essential axis for Spanish traffic since it allows to circulate without interruptions between Tarragona and Alicante. And if we add their links to other roads, it allows to circulate between France and Cádiz. A road, yes, that until 2021 was marked by various tolls. Some sections, in fact, They were one of the most expensive in Spain. The road, however, is fought from the Tolls in 2021. What it was A historical claim In the area it soon became a problem. In its first year, the road saw tourism traffic increasing 40% and 80% of trucks, collected in The country. The obvious result: more jams, more accidents … and more jams accordingly. Specifically, only the first year the AP-7 concentrated 20% of the dead on the road throughout Catalonia. A figure that contrasts with the trend of the rest of the country where the deceased on the road They concentrate on secondary roads. The New free routewith France at one end and Barcelona to one of its sides, it has turned the road into a parade of merchandise vehicles. And the problem is such that since then solutions are being sought. First with a partial reduction of speed limits. An action that has arrived in 2022 and added 82 kilometers. The next step is to copy Europe. A solution to the European Since then, the AP-7 situation has not improved much. Although mortal figures have been reduced over time, only in 2024 more than 1,600 incidents on the road. The response of traffic managers has been to reduce speed. How much? It will depend on the Meteorology and traffic congestion. Because the proposal goes through a changing management of the maximum speed of the road. A solution that already applies to other roads in Europe and that can reduce the maximum allowed limit to 60 km/h. The person in charge of announcing the measure was the Minister of Interior, Núria Parlon. They point out in The newspaper that this section of variable speed will extend for 150 kilometers between Maçanet de la Selva (Girona) and the Vendrell (Tarragona). For this, panels controlled by artificial intelligence will be implemented that will limit the traffic speed based on the different circumstances that are giving. The measure takes as reference what happens, for example, In German autobahn. On these roads there is no defined speed limit. In fact, if circumstances accompany, There is no speed limit. But at nightfall, when it rains or if there are works on the road, the panels show a speed limit equal to or less than 130 km/h. The operation is exactly the same as on the German roads but the director of the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), Ramon Lamiel, already warns in an interview with EFE: The speed can be reduced up to 60 km/h at some points. At the moment, the project is in the development phase by the Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT)who has the competitions on Catalan roads. In the second quarter of the year it should be written to be able to get it as a tender. They explain in The countrythat the intention is to deploy a progressive reduction in the maximum speed before the driver is suddenly with a bottling that forces him to reduce the speed much more drastic. Speaking to the newspaper, Lamiel insists that speed will be reduced Only in the most congested sections since they believe that the increase in accidents is derived from a greater volume of traffic and not from the danger of the road. In addition, he points out that they already proposed this measure to extend it nationwide by the roads that are the competence of the DGT but that its proposal was dismissed. The truth is that The theory says that when we circulate more slowly, traffic jams are reduced. Atasco are a sum of errors. When we circulate at a lower speed, the time to alleviate errors is greater and these are reduced. It is a matter of effectiveness and not so much speed. Traffic circulates more slowly but flows. If we circulate too fast, the braking are more abrupt, it costs more to recover a sustained speed and, little by little, we end up stucking the road. Photo | ENRIC In Wikimedia In Xataka | Catalonia has its own DGT Pegasus: Falcó is the most powerful radar in Spain and the most complicated to detect

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