Galicia sits outside the government’s rail blueprint, yet it functions as a network of corridors meant to be adapted for trains that can carry entire trucks or semi-trailers. The aim is to shift freight from roads to rail. At present, the railway handles about 4 percent of goods, with a target to raise that share to 10 percent. The Ministry of Transport has, however, left out the Atlantic Corridor, despite it being part of the EU’s main network. Officials suggest that only axes labeled as priority and with the greatest potential are fully mapped, while there remains room to add other corridors if there is interest in implementing those services. The Xunta and local business leaders condemned what they called a new grievance against the Galician community.
Galicia has long fought for inclusion in the EU’s Core Rail Freight Corridors, gaining recognition in 2018 with access to preferential financing. Yet, four years on, the Ministry of Transport has not reflected this in the design of Mercancías 30, the plan intended to boost rail freight transport. The corridor strategy calls for nine corridors to be transformed into rail lanes, but the Northwest region is left out entirely.
Connection with Portugal
In practical terms, the freight link to Portugal is planned via a route from Madrid to Medina del Campo to Fuentes de Oñoro and Salamanca, a path critics describe as a setback. The Infrastructure Department regrets this choice, while the Xunta presses for clearer guidance from the national government. It is important to note that the Atlantic Corridor, essential for Galicia’s competitiveness, still lacks a Master Plan and a dedicated commissioner, unlike the Mediterranean Corridor. [Source: EU Transport Network] The Portuguese government has signaled a preference for connections with Spain through Galicia, which could conflict with the government’s plan to route rail traffic through Salamanca.
Statements from the Pontedevedra Confederation of Employers, represented by Jorge Cebreiros, suggest skepticism about whether other corridors might be added to the rail network later. He warns that if Salamanca becomes the goods gateway to Portugal, investment in the parallel León-Galicia corridor may not occur for years. He notes that the central government seems to fund regions such as the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Valencia while Galicia, Asturias, and Castilla y León receive less attention. [Source: EU Transport Network]
The head of the Pontevedra employers association stressed that if the Atlantic Corridor is not strengthened in Galicia, environmental factors aside, the default mode would remain road transport. He warned that tolls could be introduced to regulate circulation on roads, a measure that would further erode Galicia’s competitive edge. [Source: EU Transport Network] The situation, according to local observers, risks creating a broader sense of discrimination that could damage the regional economy.
The Galician Nationalist Bloc has prepared to address Congress over what it calls another instance of discrimination. Local industry voices in Galicia believe the consequences could be serious for the regional business fabric and broader economic health if the Atlantic Corridor remains underrepresented in national plans.