Murcia's city government awarded the consortium comprised by FCC Construcción (60%) and COMSA (40%) with a 40-year contract to build, maintain and operate line 1 of Murcia's tramway.

It is the largest investment in a public works project in the history of the municipality. This contract reinforces FCC's leading position in the area of mass transport railway concessions in Spain.

The consortium will also be responsible for designing the project and supplying mobile material.

The tramway's new line will extend for almost 18 kilometres and intersect the city's main streets, linking the city centre with the shopping mall Nueva Condomina and the universities. The average distance between the 28 stops will be 450 metres.

There will be two types of platforms, side and island, both of which will be 40 metres long. The minimum width will be 4 meters for island platforms and 2.50 metres for side platforms. The project includes the construction of four viaducts and an overpass.

A total of 5.5 million people are expected to use the tramway in the first year; 513 million users are projected during the 40-year concession. This figure will increase over time.

Construction will commence this summer and the tramway is expected to be operational at 2010 year-end, following a successful six-month trial.