The Murcia City Council has awarded a joint venture featuring FCC Construcción the 40-year Murcia Tram Line 1 concession, which includes construction, maintenance and operation.

This is the biggest investment in public works ever made in the history of the city. With this award, FCC has strengthened its leadership in the field of urban rail transport concessions in Spain.

The contract also includes the construction project's design and the supply of rolling stock.

The new tram line is nearly 18 kilometres long and connects the centre of Murcia with the Nueva Condomina shopping area and the universities, crossing the city's main avenues. It will have 28 stops, an average of 450 metres apart.

There will be two types of platforms, side platforms and central platforms. Both types will be 40 metres long. The central platforms will be a minimum of four metres wide, and the side platforms will be at least 2.50 metres wide. Four viaducts and one flyover have been designed as part of the package.

During the 40-year concession, 513 million people are expected to use the tram. That means in the first year 5.5 million people will ride. This figure will grow as time goes by.

According to forecasts, work will commence next summer and the tram is scheduled to roll out on its first trip in late 2010, after a six-month testing period.