“I want to be the minister who brings this proposal” bird with “Estremadura”. Óscar Puente, head of Transport and Sustainable Mobility in the Government of Pedro Sánchez, said this during his first visit to Extremadura on December 22. after taking office. He did not go to Extremadura for anything infrastructure-related, but to support José Luis Quintana’s presentation as Government Delegate in Extremadura; but he knew that the region depended on his words. That’s why he emphasized that This community “does not complain about the excess of infrastructure, but about necessity” and that Extremaduran communications are therefore not a priority for the Government, but rather a “priority”.
With the beginning of these shows This Monday Puente will return to the region, but this time to talk about what’s really interesting: its infrastructure. you are planning to meet with president extremadural joint, Maria GuardiolaIn Mérida (10:00) This will be the first official meeting of both of them since taking office. Guardiola had been demanding a meeting with the Transport Department of the Pedro Sánchez government (first with former minister Raquel Sánchez and then with Puente) since he came to the regional government. As he has stated many times before, infrastructure is also a priority.
Train: main theme
The topics to be discussed at the meeting will be as follows: Regarding the “infrastructure and communication delay experienced by Extremadura”According to reports by the Junta de Extremadura. And the point will actually be this: Railway connections come first with high speed, Well, it’s almost thirty years late. This was the reason for some of the clashes between Guardiola and Puente. One of these was when the regional leader reproached the minister that if the community devoted as much time to its “trains” as it did to “Twitter” (the current social network X), “AVE would have already arrived in Extremadura.”
The meeting will take place in Mérida at 10:00. Later, the minister will visit the Mérida ring road
Puente promised to bring him but Currently, there is only one section of electrified road in the area. badajoz and Plasencia, this represents a reduction of just four minutes on the journey. The remainder of the route to Talayuela will be electrified and heart surgery from Merida, both projects are currently under construction (in fact, Puente will visit this latest work after his meeting with Guardiola). And the most important thing, Implementation of ERTMS security systemThis will enable trains to reach speeds of 220 km/h (currently the permitted limit is 200 km/h) and therefore reduce the Badajoz-Madrid journey to four hours (it currently takes almost four hours and fifteen hours). minute). The estimate is that the train will be ready in the first half of 2025, but given that commitments regarding the train are rarely realized, one of the Board’s demands will be strict compliance with deadlines. In addition, the inclusion of a new Alvia and an Avant. The latter will allow you to travel on Extremadura’s rails at 250 km/h (you can only reach 220 km/h on the Alvia, which is currently the only train plying Extremadura).
They will also talk about burying the Navy rails or the Badajoz-Córdoba highway.
There is another issue pending on the high-speed connection with Madrid: Burial of Navalmoral de la Mata traces. The project designed by the state envisages the train passing through the urban area.with the support of the city council We demand that the Regional Administration go underground. The government has already warned that making changes to the project would mean delaying (or even further) the arrival of AVE in Extremadura.
In railway matters Guardiola will also demand that the Ruta de la Plata western corridor be included in the expanded European network. Thus, this connection between Plasencia and Astorga, which was closed in 1984, will become a reality in 2040 at the latest. Europe keeps it in the global network for now and the horizon is set at 2050, but Extremadura sees this corridor as a priority for the connection. Community in the northwest without having to go through Madrid. There is currently no train in the region that will allow you to reach Salamanca, for example.
airport and fog
The airport is connected by train. Its location in Talavera la Real (Badajoz) in Las Vegas del Guadiana, Allows fog to be repeated. This often prevents flights from taking off. This autumn-winter period, more than 40 trips were delayed or canceled for this reason. Extremadura had already requested many times that the Spanish Government implement an anti-fog system at Badajoz airport to prevent these problems. Guardiola will also ask Puente again this Monday.
highways
Road connections are also pending. The A-58 highway comes first among these demands. caceres With Badajoz. The first section of 13.5 kilometers between the A-66 (Cáceres connection) and the Ayuela River is already under construction, but the rest needs to be put out to tender and built. This road comes together Need for connection to Levante highway via Ciudad Real; Conversion of N-432 connecting Badajoz to Córdoba; And On the Zafra-Huelva section of the A-83 motorway. We will have to wait to see whether the ‘bridge’ that seeks to connect Extremadura with the AVE will also lead to improving the region’s land and air connections.