Spain’s Service Sector & Transport Infrastructure: An In-Depth Analysis

Posted on Aug 13, 2024 in Geography

Spain’s Service Sector

The Services Sector occupies 60% of the Spanish working population and accounts for 67% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tourism is the main service contributing to the GDP. The causes for this growth are:

  • Increased standard of living.
  • Field mechanization, resulting in the transfer of population from the primary to the tertiary sector.
  • Incorporation of new technologies that require more services for production.
  • Incorporation of women into the workforce, increasing demand for domestic support services and childcare.

There are regional imbalances determined by population volume, urbanization, and levels of development and profitability.

Transportation in Spain

Overview

Transport involves moving people and goods between points. It may be land, sea, or air. The transportation system encompasses resources (vehicles, etc.) and infrastructure. Its roles include:

  • Political Function: Defense and control of the territory.
  • Demographic Function: Influencing population settlement.
  • Economic Function: A factor of economic growth.
  • Social Function: Facilitating daily movements and leisure activities.
  • Cultural Function: Expanding culture.
  • International Role: Promoting international relations and globalization.

In planning, transport reflects the skewed distribution of population and economic development.

Characteristics and Problems

Characteristics and Problems of ground and air transportation networks are characterized by a radial structure. This facilitates connections between the periphery and the center but hinders connections between different parts of the periphery.

  • Inland transport is mainly performed by road.
  • Significant regional imbalances exist in accessibility and traffic intensity, resulting in inequalities in the quality and density of the network, with a strong impact on the environment.
  • The use of advanced techniques in road infrastructure is a growing reality.
  • Integration into European and global transport networks needs improvement.

Transportation Policy

Transportation Policy within Spain is managed by the state and Autonomous Communities (ACs).

Powers of the Autonomous Communities:

  • Transport operating solely within the autonomous region.
  • Ports and airports.
  • Cable communications.

Powers of the State:

  • Merchant marine.
  • Ports.
  • Airports.
  • Airspaces.
  • Postal service.
  • Telecommunications.
  • International transport.

External influences on transport policy come from the European Union.

Strategic Plan for Infrastructure

The Strategic Plan for Infrastructure is the instrument by which the state governs transport policy. The main objectives are:

  • To achieve a balanced transportation system that promotes effective territorial cohesion.
  • Environmental sustainability.
  • Economic competitiveness.

Road Transport

Road transport connects different towns and cities. Key features include:

  • Powers over the road network are divided between the state, the Autonomous Communities, provincial councils, and city councils.
  • The network has a radial design, centered in Madrid, with axes to the main ports and peripheral cities.
  • Internal passenger and freight traffic is concentrated on the road due to lower costs.
  • The state network mainly consists of highways and motorways. Autonomous Community networks have more autonomy but may have deficiencies in width and pavement.
  • Regional imbalances exist in network density, traffic intensity, and accessibility. Density is higher in Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, the Cantabrian coast, and the islands. Density is lower in Extremadura, Aragon, Andalusia, Castilla y León, and La Mancha.
  • Traffic intensity is very high in the Ebro corridor and the Mediterranean, where the most densely populated urban, industrial, and tourist areas are located. The Madrid perimeter also has a dense road network within a 60-80 kilometer radius.
  • Accessibility by car is more homogeneous than other infrastructure.

Objectives of the strategic plan for road infrastructure:

  • Providing the entire territory with high accessibility.
  • Shifting from the radial design to a mesh network.
  • Ensuring 94% of the employed population is within half an hour of a high-capacity road.
  • Completing remaining axes, such as the Cantabrian motorway, the Mediterranean motorway, the Ruta de la Plata (from Huelva to Asturias), and the link between the Ebro Valley and the Douro Valley.
  • Improving and enhancing communications between Portugal, Spain, and France.

Rail Transport

Rail Transport – Features:

  • Powers over the railway network are divided between the state and the Autonomous Communities, with the state network being the majority.
  • The rail network consists of three networks:
    • Conventional: Has a radial structure and does not reach speeds above 200 km/h.
    • High-Speed: Equipped to exceed 200 km/h.
    • Cercanías (Commuter Rail): Located mainly on the Cantabrian coast, aiming to improve infrastructure and handle commuter traffic.
  • Passenger and freight traffic is below the European average. Passenger traffic is profitable on high-speed lines and near metropolitan areas.
  • Routes and rolling stock have been improved, but some sections still need upgrades.
  • Regional imbalances exist. The busiest areas connect the most dynamic regions: Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao. Accessibility is concentrated on the diagonal lines of the high-speed network and the radial axes of the core network. However, accessibility is minimal in areas near the borders.
  • Integration with the EU is sought through European networks.
  • The strategic plan prioritizes rail, with 50% of investment earmarked for it.