Galicia and the North of Portugal want the Lisbon-Porto-Vigo railway connection to gain speed
Lisbon and Madrid are in agreement and, at summit after summit, they reaffirm the importance of the high-speed rail connection between Lisbon and Vigo. But the project is slow to get on track.
This Tuesday, in a ceremony held at the old customs house in Valença, representatives of the Galicia-North Euroregion of Portugal signed a declaration in the style of a demand and a reminder.
“For more than ten years, both the representatives of the Galicia-North of Portugal Euroregion and the successive Luso-Spanish Summits – annual meetings at the highest Portuguese and Spanish governmental level – recognized the priority of our connection §tion”, highlights the document “Galicia-Portugal high-speed connection: an obvious priority”.
The document declares “support for the high-speed rail link between Galicia and Lisbon†, which it labels a “priority and strategic infrastructure†.
Gustave Deghilage/Getty
The parties recall that the commitment was renewed on May 23rd, in Lisbon, in a meeting between the president of the Xunta da Galicia and the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, where it was decided that 2032 would be the year entry into service of the infrastructure.
And they warn of the need for “a budget and a realistic calendar†, as well as “a complete program of actions, investments and steps†to achieve railway connections.
“We know how long it takes for these works to become a reality,†said Alfonso Rueda, president of the Xunta da Galicia, in statements to journalists. “That’s why I say we still have time for that date of 2032, but we can’t waste any more time,†he added. “If this doesn’t start moving, it will be impossible.â€
The declaration was signed by Alfonso Rueda (right), president of the Xunta da Galicia, and António Cunha, president of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission
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While the Eixo Atlântico connection does not see the light of day, the North of Portugal and Galicia warn of the degradation of the currently existing option: the Celta Train, which connects daily Porto and Vigo (160 km), via an electrified line but with a diesel railcar.
António Cunha, president of the North Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N) and, simultaneously, shift president of the Euroregion Galicia-North of Portugal, said that the obsolete material on the train “neither It works for a museum†.
“It is not reasonable given the investment that was made, namely in the electrification of the line, which containedlet us have a diesel train, but, above all, with a train that is not comfortable, that is slow and whose available timetables are very limited,” he added.
Less than an hour and a half on the way
High speed would make it possible to shorten the journey, which now takes two and a half hours to a maximum of one hour. Until it comes to fruition, Celta’s service conditions “must be updated urgently,†says the signed statement.
âThis can be resolved with much less effort,” added Alfonso Rueda. “It is not an acceptable argument to say that, as we are going to have a large infrastructure within eight years, it is not worth investing in Celta during that time. This must also be done. And I am sure that with a small economic effort, the profitability would be very high and the number of users who would travel in the Euroregion by train would increase significantly.â€
Celta “is the victim of a vicious circle: the train It is not improved because there are no passengers, but there are no passengers because the train is not improved,” adds António Cunha. “It is very difficult to believe in this perverse logic, because the cross-border economic metabolism is enormous.â€
It is estimated that around 15 thousand people cross the border between the north of Portugal and Galicia every day for work reasons. âAnd it is also known that cross-border tourist metabolism is increasing significantly, particularly in the context of the Camino de Santiago.â€
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The signed joint statement says that “the studies carried out show an unquestionable result: the potential for use and profitability of the Galicia-Portugal line presents indisputable data that, together with the close existing cultural ties, constitute valuable capital to achieve make significant progress in the construction of projects based on intercommunicability†.
A promise over 20 years old
The president of the CCDR-N recalled that this issue was placed on the agenda of Portugal and Spain at the distant Iberian summit in Figueira da Foz, in 2003, when Durão Barroso and José Maria Aznar were in power. Since then, successive governments in Lisbon and Madrid have allowed the matter to drag on, creating a feeling of lack of will to move the project forward.
Conversely, successive authorities in Galicia and northern Portugal do not let the commitment fall into oblivion. “We have been waiting for many years. It is a commitment that is often made and not fulfilled. And this time it has to be definitive. This is what we are now saying with this manifesto,” concluded Alfonso Rueda.
“Ainda let’s time of the date of 2032, but we can no longer waste time,” added the Spanish official. “We have to put pressure on them and tell them that the final great leap must be taken without any excuse.â€
