Wendy WilliamsBy Eloise Horsfield
GIBRALTAR residents will be able to take the fast track (AVE) railway line all the way to the French border by 2030.
The exciting step will be confirmed when the European Commission publishes its decision to ‘prioritise’ the so-called Mediterranean ‘corridor’ railway line this week.
Until now, the fast track line was only guaranteed to arrive in Valencia.
But after constant lobbying from town halls around Andalucia, the EC is expected to announce that Almeria will be linked to France by 2020 and the Cadiz town of Algeciras a decade later.
The European Commission is expected to confirm that it will stump up some 30 per cent of the cost of the project.
The 1,300km train line will reach France at Perpignon before speeding off on a dedicated line to Helsinki via Lyon, Hamburg and Copenhagen.
The Spanish part of the track will serve 40 per cent of the Spanish population.
I suppose this may be newsworthy Eloise but it is difficult to get gripped up about something that may happen in 19 years if the EU has the money to finance it. Seems amazing to me that anyone is working on it at all when the EU is close to bankrupt but I suppose all those Brussels bureaucrats have to do something before and after a long lunch
“The EU…. will stump up 30% of the cost of the project”
Mmmmmmm? So that’s OK then, overborrowed Spain will only have to find 70%.
Phew! For a moment I feared bankruptcy looming.
David , you do not have Spanish calculation skills …….
Over estimate by at least 150%
When the 30% payment comes in divide 70% of that between the tio’s and use the rest to construct a half-ass whatever highway, byway, trainway that’s the latinoway
creates income and sustainable employment if the bimbos from the EU keep sending maintenance money …..
Which bit of ‘It does not go to Gibraltar’ have you missed to write the headline ?
Ok not literally right onto the rock, but nearby algeciras
In that time, will be open the fence?
It’s Algeciras where it stops. The fact that the population of Gibraltar promote it as theirs and that they can take benefit of it for free is just another example of the classical all-for-me-nothing-for-you mindset llanitos made us used to.
praise the lord, Carlos is buying train tickets for everybody ……. what a European pioneer and good neighbor giddy up Charley
Carlos – You have a big bee in your bonnet about Gibraltar. But your own mayor of La Linea has clearly stated the policies and approach of the PP, her predecessor and Spain in general is pathetic and you are in this category…give it a rest as you are boring.
A new train line from Algeciras to Helsinki will be 30% paid for directly from EU funding and the other 70% indirectly paid for from EU funding as Spain is by far the biggest benfactor and pro-rata the least to put anything back in the EU pot and always has been.
By all means have the terminal in Gibraltar as a key EU nation (rather than Algeciras) as it will be the British who put in more and take out less than any other EU 16 member in any case and if you want it but not allow anyonr from Gibraltar to use it then you can put on your jack boots and stomp around outside the station.
Key nation? Is that a joke about the key hanging on the flag? By the way, a Spanish design for the Spanish Gibraltar.