Globalvia has extended its leadership in the infrastructure management market by realising its key strategic goals and demonstrating a keen understanding of the markets in which it operates
As one of the world’s leading infrastructure management companies
Globalvia is well equipped to see ambitious projects through from conception to completion
not least in the case of the Metro de Sevilla
for which the company won the World Finance Rail Deal of the Year Award
“This transaction consolidates Globalvia as the private operator leader in transporting passengers by metro in Spain and gives the company great credentials to expand its business internationally,” says the company’s CEO Javier Pérez Fortea
The Globalvia business model is based on the management and operation of assets
during a given period in which management and development of the asset is sought
The location of the railway is also key to the company’s success
financial centre and largest city in the autonomous region of Andalusia
And with a focus on the railway sector in particular
– which was incorporated in 2007 with FCC and Bankia as shareholders at 50 percent each – is preparing itself for the challenges ahead by building on its portfolio and international renown
An equity increase operation amounting to €750m was done later on in two phases
and in December 2013 Phase II was completed
with the Universities Superannuation Scheme joining the Globalvia team
Owing to an astute business strategy and management model
Globalvia boasts a market presence in seven countries and manages more than 30 managed assets in a number of sectors
and the acquisition of the Metro de Sevilla represents a key step in its bid for efficiency in the management of transport infrastructure concessions
The final stake acquired by Globalvia amounted to 88.23 percent for an equity value of €156.2m
The company commenced discussions with Desarrollo de Concesiones Ferroviarias
who represented a 66.78 percent share of the Metro de Sevilla
both the price of the shares and the share purchase agreement (SPA) were met during a demanding negotiation process
After having agreed the price and fundamental points of the SPA with a majority stake in the Metro de Sevilla
Globalvia offered the same conditions to the rest of the shareholders and acquired an additional 21.45 percent stake from Grupo GEA21 and Inversiones en Concesiones Ferroviarias (CAF)
who owned an 11.15 and 10.30 percent share respectively
who was responsible for 11.77 percent of the shares owned through the Agencia de Obra Pública de la Junta de Andalucia (AOPJA)
The deal was closed at the same time as the signing of the SPA
with each shareholder maintaining the same price per share
The acquisition consolidated Globalvia’s position as a railway sector leader in Spain
In keeping with an established Globalvia investment strategy
the Metro de Sevilla underlines the company’s commitment to a wide array of criteria
and providing a strong regulatory framework
The Metro de Sevilla is also an under-leveraged asset and presents an opportunity for medium term re-leverage
To underline the unique qualities of the acquisition subject
the Metro de Sevilla withstood the repercussions of the financial downturn and – despite operations beginning midway through the crisis – revenue performance grew through 2010 to 2012 at a compound annual growth rate of 1.8 percent
the first metro managed by a private operator in Spain – later joined by Metro de Málaga in July 2014 – has performed ahead of expectations and seen an increase in demand on a daily basis
“It is important for us to manage an asset that provides service to a high amount of clients and users
They appreciate the service that the Metro de Sevilla gives,” says Fortea
“This is a great honour for us and motivates us in improving the quality of our service on a daily basis.”
The concession was awarded in May 2003 by the AOPJA to a consortium formed by Desarrollo de Concesiones Ferroviarias
Salvador Rus López Construcciones and Transportes Urbanos de Zaragoza
several transactions took place between shareholders
CAF 10.30 percent and AOPJA with 11.77 percent
The objective of the concession is to design
which spans 18.1km and passes through 22 stations
due to a significant increase in construction costs
an economic rebalance agreement was signed in 2009 that extended the concession term until December 2040 and increased the revenues (technical tariff)
Additional financial rebalancing occurred again in 2011
resulting in an additional increase of the 2011 technical tariff
due to a requirement of additional works issued by the authorities
the 18.1km line connects the centre of Seville with two key points of the metropolitan area (the municipalities of Aljarafe and Dos Hermanas) and serves the four areas of Dos Hermanas
San Juan de Aznalfarache and Seville Centre
It is a key asset for public transport in greater Seville
Operational activities are managed in-house
while maintenance is mainly subcontracted to suppliers with a strong relationship with the previous shareholders
Globalvia believes that strong operational improvements can be achieved to the point of increasing outstanding quality ratios
combining availability payments and traffic-linked income
which make for solid growth with low elasticity in traffic variances
The opening times of the Metro de Sevilla are always focused on providing the city with as much support in transport as possible
services are provided to extend the timetable and increase the running frequency at peak times
Service-strengthening devices have also been put in place
such as the Annual Fair and football matches
all of the 21 vehicles could be in operation at any one time
As a world leader in the infrastructure management sector
Globalvia and its management of the Metro de Sevilla project offers a glimpse into what can be achieved with an intelligent financial structure and the right partners in place
The Junta de Andalucía's Ministry of Health confirmed on Thursday the death in Navarre of a woman infected with the West Nile virus (WNV)
She had visited Utrera (Seville province) and
This brings the death toll from this virus to six just this summer
all of them in the one Andalusian province or related to it in some way
Ministry sources confirmed that the woman had visited Utrera in Seville province on 12 August and had then travelled back home where she eventually died due to this virus that can only be transmitted to people via mosquito bites
To the death of the woman infected in Utrera are added the deaths of three people from Coria del Río
one of them an elderly woman over 87 years of age (also with pre-existing medical issues) and another elderly person aged 71
The other two were another 71-year-old woman from Dos Hermanas (with pre-existing conditions) and a woman aged 86 who was infected in La Puebla del Río
There are also dozens of cases of infection via mosquito bites
the only way of transmitting the virus to humans
with the regional health ministry reporting a total of 60 cases this summer in Coria del Río
Specifically in relation to the Carmona resident infected with the virus
it has emerged this Thursday that he had died after having his case of infection confirmed
The councillor in charge of health matters at Carmona town hall
said in statements to Canal Sur Radio that this resident of El Corzo housing estate was already suffering from other ailments and died "from other medical complications" unrelated to WNV itself
Currently the Junta's PEVA plan (Andalucía's strategic plan to monitor and control all bugs and insects that could impact health) obliges all municipalities affected by the problem of mosquitoes transmitting WNV to deploy their municipal plans for preventive fumigation of these insects
the affected municipalities are demanding greater "involvement" from the Junta in this problem
especially that the costs of fumigation and disinfection should not be borne exclusively by the individual town halls
Seville's provincial authority (Diputación) has contracted two specialist pest-controlling companies
to strengthen the efforts required of the municipalities
The towns listed by the Junta as needing this additional
infected residents have also been confirmed in Alcalá de Guadaíra
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An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale (0 to 10) with its epicentre in the area around the Moroccan town of Ksar el-Kebir has been felt in municipalities in up to six Andalusian provinces
including Malaga - which includes the Costa del Sol - 
with no reports of personal or material damage
According to Spain's IGN national geographic institute
the earthquake happened at around 11.49pm on Monday 10 February with its epicentre in the Moroccan region of Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima at a depth of 34 kilometres
The earthquake was felt with intensity II and III in the municipalities of Seville (Alcalá de Guadaíra
Dos Hermanas and the city); Cadiz (Algeciras
Los Barrios and San Roque); Malaga (Estepona
Fuengirola and the city); Huelva (Lepe and the city); Jaén (Linares) and Cordoba city
The 112 Andalucía emergency service control room received five calls from the public in the early hours of the morning about this earthquake
four in the province of Seville (two in the city
Mairena del Alcor and Mairena del Aljarafe) and one in Huelva (Bollullos Par del Condado)
The Junta de Andalucía's Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday (16 September) that there are 11 new cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the region
one in Gelves and one in El Real de la Jara; in the province of Seville
three cases have been confirmed: one in Ibros
one in Villanueva de la Reina and one in Lopera
there is one case in the Cordoba municipality of La Rambla
who is hospitalised and is progressing favourably
The regional government has also notified the death of a person from Villanueva de la Reina (Jaén) at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Cordoba
although the reason for the death "is not directly linked to West Nile virus but to a previous pathology"
the number of deaths due to WNV remains at seven
the presence of WNV has been detected in samples taken in the Cadiz municipalities of Barbate
Tarifa and Vejer de la Frontera; as well as in the Seville municipality of Los Palacios y Villafranca
as a result of the integration of surveillance
the ministry of health has reported that the presence of West Nile virus has been detected in five equidae members of the horse family: one in the municipality of Arjona in Jaén; another in the municipality of Villamartín in Cadiz; one in Las Navas de la Concepción
another in Espartinas and another in Cazalla de la Sierra
the latter three in the province of Seville; and in a common gannet located in the sea
more than 2 kilometres from the coast of Huelva
The Junta has informed the municipal authorities of the prescribed public health actions that "must be taken" in order to "significantly" reduce the probability of transmission to the population based on the analysis of the weekly results of species
It is continuously monitoring the mosquito surveillance and control activities being carried out by the pest control companies contracted by the Cadiz and Seville provincial authorities to control peri-urban areas and
with regard to activities within the towns
carrying out on-site verifications and weekly follow-up meetings with the most affected town councils and the companies contracted by them
the weekly public health report concluded that the population densities of females of potentially transmitting mosquito species are at high levels (Grade III) in Los Palacios y Villafranca (Seville) and in La Puebla del Río in the Brazo del Este (Seville) and at medium levels (Grade II) in Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville) and Benalup Casas Viejas (Cadiz)
According to the data obtained from the different information sources
the Junta concluded that the populations of vector mosquitoes maintain the low densities observed during the first week of September in most of the traps
obtaining medium or high densities in the traps of La Puebla del Río (Brazo del Este)
Los Palacios y Villafranca (northwest of the town)
Villamanrique de la Condesa (south of the town) and Benalup-Casas Viejas (northeast of the town)
Regarding the circulation of West Nile virus in traps in the province of Seville during the first week of September
it has only been detected in transmitting mosquitoes in one single trap
specifically the one covering the rural area of Los Palacios y Villafranca (northwest of the town)
being negative in the rest of the traps carried out in the province (including those of the EBD-CSIC)
the drop in the density of mosquito-transmitting mosquitoes observed in the first week continued
although virus circulation continued in traps in rural areas of Benalup-Casas Viejas and Vejer de la Frontera
with virus presence in the rural areas of Barbate and Tarifa during the first week of September
No WNV circulation has been detected in the traps in the province of Malaga (corresponding to the week of 2 to 6 September)
the incorporation of traps in the province of Jaén is planned for next week
given the evolution of the cases declared in that province
for a diagnosis on transmitting species that may be present in that province
their density and virus circulation in the samples collected during the coming weeks