The realization of this project will boost the economic and business development of the region, with the anticipated creation of more than 7,000 jobs—4,800 direct and 2,404 indirect—and the mobilization of €60 million in private investment. All of this will position Spain at the forefront of global railway technology and strengthen the international competitiveness of a key sector for the country.

In the railway ring (railway circuit) –High Technology Railway Testing Center– the homologation and certification processes of rolling stock will be carried out, as well as research, tests, trials and commissioning of new technological developments generated in the center itself or derived from the R&D activities of companies in the railway sector.

This infrastructure will enable technological advancements not only in high-speed and conventional transport, but also in developments for trams, subways, and other systems. The maximum speed for which this ring road is projected is 520 km/h, representing a competitive advantage, given that the current maximum speed for this type of infrastructure does not exceed 270 km/h.

Once its construction is complete (works will begin in 2011 and will last approximately four years), it will be the largest center of its kind, surpassing those already existing in the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Japan and the United States.

The center will be built in the railway area of ​​Bobadilla (Malaga) and will attract new companies to Andalusia, helping it to become a key research hub in the railway sector.

Other expected results include an increase in the critical mass of researchers in the railway sector; the consolidation and promotion of exports, with improved competitiveness; the improvement of production processes; the development of alternative technologies; and the international transfer of knowledge.

These results are in line with Adif's strategic objectives, which include increasing cooperation in research, development and technological innovation activities, as well as in R&D&I projects promoted by Spanish and European Union public administrations through the R&D&I framework program.

This initiative falls under the Innovation from Public Demand pillar of the State Innovation Strategy. It aims to improve how public administrations conduct their public procurement, thereby fostering the technological development of Spanish companies and generating business opportunities for innovative firms in sectors poised to play a key role in the new production model.

Project description

The test section will allow all kinds of research, experimentation and testing to be carried out without interfering with commercial operation, opening up a wide field of technological experimentation in relation to the railway.

Main Ring

The track has been designed to reach speeds of up to 520 km/h, with a 9 km straight and large radius curves, allowing virtually all the tests necessary to certify trains at speeds of 380 km/h to be carried out, including dynamics, braking, noise, etc.

Furthermore, it is planned that railway-related developments will be tested and experimented with, both on the track and facilities as well as on the trains. It has a length of 55 km of standard gauge.

Secondary Ring

Maximum speed, 220 km/h; length, 20 km in international and Iberian gauges.
Other tracks and sections (5 km).

For testing urban transport vehicles (trams or light rail) as test tracks for safety tests against derailment on tracks; small radius curves for dynamic tests; S-shaped sections to validate curve-counter-curve traffic; test tracks with different slopes and lengths; section with vertical curve radius.

The Bobadilla Railway Testing and Experimentation Ring (Antequera) is designed as a complementary facility to the Railway Technology Centre (CTF), conceived as a world-class center of excellence in railway innovation, located in the Andalusia Technology Park in Campanillas, 13 km from the center of Málaga and near the university campus. The
Málaga Railway Technology Centre is a benchmark in technological innovation.

Adif, which has been committed to innovation and technological development since its inception, has 56 R&D projects in development, in collaboration with various organizations, representing a total investment of 107 million euros, in addition to its collaboration with more than 125 Spanish companies, 22 technology centers and 24 universities.

With the creation of the CTF, Adif aims to position the Spanish railway system at the forefront of European and global technological innovation. This technology center and the complementary railway ring that will be built for testing will be at the global forefront of research, development, and innovation in the field of high-speed rail.

The Retse building, provided by the Idea Agency, with a grant of €5.6 million for its outfitting awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within the chapter of scientific and technological infrastructures, has 3,000 m2 on two floors, with modular spaces of 25 m2 and warehouses of 150 m2, which will house technical work areas, training classrooms, a demo room, a conference hall, and services such as a work canteen and parking.

In its first phase, the CTF will have two specialized laboratories from Adif: the GSM-R laboratory, for RBC-Train communications technology and the development of data engineering for ERTMS; and the ICT laboratory, dedicated to intelligent transport systems and the evolution of the Da Vinci system, an advanced railway traffic management system.

In addition, the Center will establish specialized departments for training, technological monitoring, R&D project management and technology transfer for the development of national and international projects of Adif's own, in cooperation or even for third parties under contract.

So far, companies from diverse sectors directly or indirectly related to the railway field have shown interest in joining the CTF, such as railway equipment manufacturers, rolling stock manufacturers, construction companies, transport and logistics companies, consulting firms, the metallurgical industry, multinational IT companies, consulting firms, electronic component manufacturers, universities, etc.