Spain Commits to Construction of Gran Canaria Train Line
The project for Tenerife will be signed this Thursday on the island. The highly valued alternative in Tenerife’s mobility plan prioritises bus lanes while relegating trains to a secondary role.
Government Commitment
The Spanish Government has formally committed to participating in the construction of a train line that will connect Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with Maspalomas in the south of the island. This line has been recognised as a public interest project by the State and is expected to cost approximately €2 billion.
In the presence of the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Minister for Territorial Policy, José Antonio Santano, the Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano, signed the collaboration protocol on Wednesday with the Minister of Public Works of the autonomous community, Pablo Rodríguez, and the President of the Gran Canaria Cabildo, Antonio Morales. This protocol establishes cooperation between the three administrative bodies for the future construction of this infrastructure.
Enhancing Transportation Links
Both parties present this protocol, along with one that will be signed on Thursday in Tenerife for the island’s train, as the penultimate step necessary to provide both islands, home to nearly two million residents, with railway lines that connect their capitals to the tourist and economic development hubs in their southern regions.
As highlighted by Clavijo and Minister Torres, the final step will be the signing of the multi-annual agreement for the works, which will determine the contributions from the State for the construction of both lines. Investments for this project will also seek involvement from the European Union, based on the argument that they will be crucial for decarbonising land transport in the Canary Islands.
