VZCZCXRO9442
PP RUEHRN
DE RUEHMD #1633/01 2361519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241519Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3257
INFO RUEHSS/OECD POSTS COLLECTIVE
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001633 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SP ECON ELTN EIND OVIP
SUBJECT: CODEL BROWN DISCUSSES TRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
SECURITY IN SPAIN 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  During a visit to Spain August 13-15, 
Congresswomen Corrine Brown (D-FL), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), 
and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH) discussed railway security 
and investment with Spanish Congressional officials and 
railroad representatives.  Spanish parliamentarians from the 
Chamber of Deputies Committee on Infrastructure told the 
CODEL that Spain planned to invest more than 150 billion 
euros over the next decade to expand the role of railways in 
the Spanish economy.  Spain's National Network of Railways 
(RENFE) separately provided the CODEL with a tour of Madrid's 
Atocha station (where the March 11, 2004 bombing took place) 
as well as of the Zaragoza-Delicias train station, which will 
serve as a major transportation hub for the Zaragoza 2008 
exposition.  During the tours, RENFE officials admitted that 
though they considered the train stations' security measures 
to be robust, the measures currently in place could not 
definitively prevent another March 11-type train station 
attack.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On August 14, parliamentarians from Spain's Chamber 
of Deputies Committee on Infrastructure explained to CODEL 
Brown that investment in the railways was a top GOS priority. 
 Of a projected 10-year infrastructure budget of 250 billion 
euros, almost 70 percent will be invested in railways, a 
significant portion of which (125 billion euros) is for the 
expansion of Spain's high speed train lines (AVE).  The 
parliamentarians explained that Spain's railway authority 
(RENFE) would be adding high-speed routes to the north and 
extending already-existing southern rail lines.  Of 
particular importance, they noted, was the long-awaited 
construction of the AVE line connecting two of the most 
important economic centers, Barcelona and Madrid, to be 
completed by the end of 2007.  In addition to the enormous 
investment in the AVE lines, the parliamentarians mentioned 
that Spain would invest 32 billion euros of the projected 
infrastructure funds towards Spain's commuter trail line 
system in addition to unspecified amounts to improve train 
stations. 
 
¶3. (U) Parliamentarian Maria Dolores Puig Gasol (Barcelona, 
PSOE) commented that this remarkable investment would improve 
Spain's lagging position in rail transport within the EU. 
She noted that only 2 percent of travel and freight 
transportation in Spain was being provided by railways 
compared with 14 percent in the EU.  Parliamentarian and 
Deputy of the Infrastructure Committee, Jose Joaquin Martinez 
(Cantabria, Partido Popular), added that improved rail 
transport would open up more of the country to commerce and 
travel, both domestically and with Portugal and France, and 
would provide greater development opportunities to 
traditionally neglected localities. 
 
¶4. (U) In addition to their meeting with Spanish 
parliamentarians, the CODEL met with officials from the 
National Network for Spanish Railways (RENFE).  RENFE 
provided the CODEL with separate tours of Madrid's Atocha 
station and the Zaragoza-Delicias train station two hours 
north of Madrid.  RENFE officials showcased their extensive 
video-camera surveillance procedures and explained that both 
stations relied on the presence of both police and canines to 
prevent attacks.  Although RENFE security advisors praised 
the existing security measures, they admitted that the 
measures could not definitively prevent passengers from 
bringing explosives or deadly weapons aboard trains, similar 
to what occurred during the March 11, 2004 terrorist attack 
at Atocha station that killed 191 persons and injured 
thousands more. 
 
¶5. (U) The RENFE officials acknowledged that although 
passengers traveling on the high speed AVE train must place 
their baggage through an x-ray machine, these passengers were 
not subject to searches of their person and could 
theoretically hide material under their clothing. 
Additionally, RENFE representatives explained that passengers 
traveling on the commuter trains or "cercanias" were not 
subject to baggage x-rays.  RENFE officials cautioned, 
however, that there was a fine line between imposing 
additional security measures and making rail travel 
inconvenient for passengers, and asserted that the measures 
currently in place made the two stations very difficult 
targets for would-be attackers. 
 
¶6. (U) RENFE's biggest security hurdle, the security 
officials opined, was not its system of searches, but the 
lack of uniform security measures at train stations across 
the country.  Tomas del Riego Minco, Chief of Security for 
RENFE-ADIF, explained that the security measures imposed at 
Atocha and Zaragoza were unique and not applied to all 
stations country-wide, making these other stations easier 
targets.  He added that Spanish laws limiting the use of 
video surveillance footage was another hindrance that impeded 
 
MADRID 00001633  002 OF 002 
 
 
long-term surveillance and intel capabilities of the 
operations centers at Atocha and Zaragoza-Delicias stations. 
 
¶7. (U) Comment: Though RENFE security officials admit to gaps 
in security measures, they expressed confidence that the 
measures currently in place at the prominent train stations 
serve as a sufficient deterrent to prevent future attacks. 
In fact, surveillance at both Atocha and Zaragoza stations 
was extremely thorough and left little to the imagination. 
In addition to security, expansion of the rail lines is a 
significant priority for Spain.  The GOS is placing 
remarkable emphasis on the development of its rail lines, 
going so far as to commit the majority of its projected 
infrastructure funding to this end.  In comparison, Spain is 
only committing 6 percent of its infrastructure budget to air 
transportation improvements and 25 percent to road 
transportation. 
 
¶8. (U) RENFE is a governmental agency that reports to the 
Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works.  The agency is 
divided into two segments, RENFE ADIF which oversees train 
stations and infrastructure of the railways, and RENFE 
Operations which manages the rail trains and passenger 
issues.  In 2009, Spain will begin the process of 
privatization of its trains as mandated by the EU.  At that 
point RENFE Operations will reduce some of its current 
responsibilities, while RENFE ADIF will maintain its standing 
as the manager of the railway lines and infrastructure. 
AGUIRRE