Spain presses France to strengthen support for cross-border rail connections

 

Within the framework of the meeting organized by the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism, held at the historic station canfranc, the Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility of Spain, Jose Antonio Santano, has launched a strong call to France to reaffirm its commitment to the development of the cross-border rail connections. The petition focuses on the need to advance key projects such as the reopening of the Canfranc line and the promotion of Cantabrian-Mediterranean Corridor.

 

Santano, who participated in the event titled "Aragon in the context of European Cross-Border Transport Infrastructures", He emphasized the importance of Franco-Spanish collaboration in ensuring traffic safety and efficient connections between the two countries. "With institutional loyalty, we offer our support to work jointly with France on the maintenance of shared infrastructure and the development of new rail lines along the corridors." Mediterranean and Atlantic"especially those near the Pyrenees," Santano declared to the representatives of the European Union.

 

The Secretary of State has offered, from a position of institutional loyalty, to work together with France to guarantee traffic safety and the best connections between both countries.

 

The Secretary of State stressed the ambitious investment plan that the Ministry is carrying out in Aragon, with the aim of decarbonising transport and improving the region's connectivity. He highlighted the comprehensive renovation of the line Huesca-Canfranca project that will allow the line to be put into service this year. "We are making an unprecedented investment effort in Aragon to meet the decarbonization targets set by the Department," Santano stated.

 

One of the key points of his speech was the need to reestablish rail traffic between Canfranc and Bedous, for which Santano considers collaboration between Spain and France, as well as between the regional administrations of Aragon and New AquitaineIn this regard, he announced that Adif has tendered the drafting of the construction project for the adaptation of the tunnel Somport, with an investment of 2,76 million euros.

 

In addition, Santano highlighted the progress of other railway projects in Aragon, such as the standard gauge connection of the line Zaragoza-Canfranc with the logistics platform Zaragoza Plaza, and the works in the sections The route from Ayerbe to Caldearenas is divided into two sections: Jaca and Canfranc.

 

The Secretary of State also highlighted the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Corridor, an infrastructure that will connect Sagunto with Teruel and Zaragozawith an investment of 453 million euros. "This corridor is fundamental for the economic development of the region, as it will connect the port of Valencia with the center of the Iberian Peninsula," explained Santano.