Adif has tendered between 2018-2023 (until June 30) a total of 5,417 million euros for the Mediterranean corridor (Algeciras-Frontera coastal branch, plus Sagunt-Teruel). In addition, 3,902 million euros have been awarded and 797 million euros have been executed in the first six months of this year, with an execution forecast of 1,027 million euros at the end of the year, according to data provided by the Government commissioner for the Mediterranean runner, Josep Vicent Boira.
These data are known days after the Quiero Corredor platform, promoted by the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), assessed that the deadlines set by the Government for the execution of the Mediterranean corridor will not be met. The president of AVE, Vicente Boluda, pointed out that “everything is underway, but without substantial progress and the works are going, but not at the pace that we would like or that we expected.”
Josep Vicent Boira defends that the judgment on progress or non-progress in the Corridor “must be related to the underlying trend and the commitment to the project”. “There is sustained support for it, which is expressed in these data (also with European funding, such as the 28 million CEF 2022 that was made public a few days ago for the Castelló-Tarragona gauge change)”.
The Government commissioner adds that the Mediterranean Corridor, with these data, “is irreversible, in addition to working in favor of trends today such as the decarbonization of transport, the fight against climate change, support for exports, reindustrialization and the rail-port connection “. Boira underlines that “we have passed 5,000 million tenders since 2018 (the previous figure we had was 4,477.55 million), which seems to me a very relevant figure and shows the sustained commitment to the Mediterranean Corridor in this period “.
In their analysis, the head engineers of the Quiero Corredor AVE platform question the commitment of the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, mainly in attention to six sections in which they point out that the works are still pending. They are the completion of the works on the Castellbisbal tunnel as well as the laying of the third lane on the remaining track between Castelló and Valencia; the commissioning of the single track in Iberian gauge in the Moixent-La Encina section; the projects for the remaining sections of the Murcia-Cartagena line; the definition of the alternative to the Almería-Granada line; and the electrification solution in the Ronda-Bobadilla section.
On the positive side of the balance, they highlight that the change in track gauge between Castelló and Vandellós has been awarded -to which Europe recently awarded 27 million euros-, works have begun on the Totana-Totana section, they are already in Work is underway on the Lorca-Pulpí section and the burying of the Lorca tunnel has been tendered.
