Eloise Horsfield
A RAILWAY testing track that would cause ‘irreversible damage’ to a large tract of rural land has been put on hold by Spain’s central courts.
The plan for a 58km circular track around the celebrated Antequera vega would have been the world’s longest train test track.
But lawyers representing locals and businesses in Fuente de Piedra, Mollina and Antequera insisted that there are numerous flaws in the €400m development.
They have managed to get a temporary halt on the development, which relate to the project’s feasibility study and its initial approval.
A further five lawsuits are also pending against the scheme, which was initially fast-tracked by the government in February.
The government had heralded the scheme as a ‘great innovation’ and claimed it could create more than 7,000 jobs.
It had insisted that the initiative, which would be joined at one end by Santa Ana AVE station, would not destroy any of Mollina’s vineyards.
But it is not being welcomed by everyone, with protests held against the launch in Antequera.
Politicians, trade unionists and environmentalists argued that the scheme is not sustainable and would destroy valuable farmland.
Another poorly thought out, unneeded and costly project that the Government does’t have the cash to pay for. If as past Gov’t projects prove, the 400M euro estimate will grow to 600M euros and take twice as long to complete. At 600m euros/7000 jobs that’s 85.714 euros/job (not incl. “accounting errors & ghost employees”) That’s about 3-4 years of salary/job on a project that has NO economic future & many present day opponents who filed legal suits. Best some PM build another unnecessary Airport, or learn to do Cost/Benefit analysis!
Cost/Benefit analysis – your asking way too much there.
But this project was to be financed privately
This high speed rail project is now going “full steam ahead” according to the minister of public works. Bad choice of words perhaps lol.