This project has been in development for more than twenty years, and its completion remains uncertain. The idea is a high‑speed rail link linking Vigo and Porto. Recently, senior officials from Spain and Portugal added new uncertainty by accusing each other of missed deadlines. At a day dedicated to transport and logistics networks in Porriño, organized by Eixo Atlántico del Noroeste and the Spanish Transport Association and attended by the Atlantic Rail Corridor commissioner, José Antonio Sebastian Ruiz, and Portugal’s Vice President for Infrastructure, Carlos Fernandes, spoke to the press about progress. Though no roundtable occurred, both officials addressed reporters and questioned the pace of work on the neighboring side.
In the same week, political tremors hit the neighboring country as Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned from backing the Vigo‑Lisbon project with a priority on the Madrid–Lisbon corridor. This shift sparked questions about future support for the Vigo corridor within national and EU transport plans.
deadlines
Sebastián Ruiz indicated that the southern rail exit from Spain toward Portugal should be ready before 2030, preventing trains from looping back to Redondela to continue into Portugal. Still, questions remain about when Portuguese infrastructure will be ready to connect smoothly with the Spanish line. He conveyed these remarks to the media. The Portuguese Vice President for Infrastructure highlighted ongoing Portuguese government work on the AVE to Galicia and suggested Spain hopes to align completion times on both sides. A similar note was made by the Portuguese official.
The commissioner projected that investments in the Atlantic Corridor over the coming years would exceed 16 billion euros, about 5 billion more than those planned for the Mediterranean Corridor. He reminded that the southern exit and the AVE to Portugal are not yet included in the core network agreement. The European transport network is set with a 2030 effective date for the basic network and a horizon extending to 2040 for the extended core network.
The key distinction between networks lies not only in schedules but also in the amount of European funds available for financing, though governments retain the autonomy to shorten deadlines.
Go to base network
Regardless, Sebastián Ruiz stated that the central government would seek Brussels’ agreement to include this infrastructure in the core network, aiming for operation by 2030 and hoping for approval before December 31 during Spain’s presidency of the European Union Council. He questioned the Portuguese side’s stance after insisting on Spain’s completion of Vigo’s southern exit by 2030, asking what the Portuguese side will do in terms of high‑speed development. He noted that Galicia already has high‑speed passenger service from A Coruña to Vigo, while Portugal has no kilometers of high‑speed track yet.
Portuguese version
Portugal’s Vice President for Infrastructure stated that the freight corridor on the Portuguese side is finished, while the passenger corridor remains incomplete. He outlined steps to ensure high‑speed access reaches Galicia in the early 2030s. Currently, passenger services are perceived as uncompetitive because the Vigo–Porto journey takes almost two and a half hours.
Fernandes outlined that works would begin in 2027 or 2028 and should be completed within the next decade, but no earlier than 2040. He also pointed out that the Spanish side has emphasized the link will only be completed when both countries finish their respective sections.
Railway at RO-RO terminal
At the forthcoming roundtable, which will include representatives from the ports of A Coruña, Vigo, and Marín, Sebastián Ruiz noted that the railway is open to allowing Olívic port traffic at the ro‑ro terminal. The Vigo Port Authority and Stellantis have long advocated for this alignment.
He praised the work of the Port of Vigo and agreed with the stance of the Spanish Association. The Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (Anfac) has expressed that Vigo is still among the few peninsula ports lacking a rail connection at its automotive terminal.