The project of passing the Madrid-Extremadura-Lisbon AVE through Toledo is gaining speed, but in this case in political controversy. There is no other way to understand the clash this Friday between the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, since while the former said that in the case of Toledo and Talavera the projects presented, already to public information and with the goal of the line being operational in 2030 “we have thrown down the street in the middle”, Page yesterday expressed his opposition to the route of the AVE to Extremadura in Toledo, criticizing that “some engineers are insisting on making “a ‘scalextric'”.
In an interview on the Onda Cero program ‘Más de uno’, the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, announced today the unblocking of the Madrid-Lisbon AVE route, with a new line through Toledo and Talavera de la Reina which will cut Travel time with trains to or from Extremadura. “Before the end of the year this had to be cleared up by civil or military matters”declared the minister.
The ministerial official explained that they have approved the publication of the informative studies and that Next year they will have defined the layout to begin construction projects. “We threw down the street in the middle,” he acknowledged, admitting that They have not reached a total agreement with the territorial administrations.
In relation to the affected territories, Puente has detailed that in Talavera they have opted for surface integration and in Toledo they have proposed a through station located in the current location, with a route over the river. «I think it is well resolved, although with some discrepancies”, has stated.
The minister has confirmed that the objective is to have the complete line operational in 2030, focusing especially on the remaining 160 kilometers. “We will be in a position to fulfill it, especially because the entire Extremadura route has been completed,” he assured.
Puente has highlighted that The high-speed line in Extremadura is practically completedwith sections such as the one from Plasencia to Badajoz already built and in the testing phase. “Extremadurans have been waiting for the AVE to arrive for a long time,” he concluded, showing his commitment to completing the project.
“I I think the goal of doing them in the next five years is an achievable goal.. We are going to have to tighten, this is undoubtedly, but I believe it can be achieved,” explained the minister.
Page’s opposition
This approach has had an immediate response from the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, who this Friday showed his opposition to the route of the AVE to Extremadura in Toledo, criticizing that “some engineers” are insisting on making “a ‘scalextric'” .
«There are some engineers who are committed not only to making bridges, but to making a ‘scalextric’, which also surely the people of Toledo would name it the bridge«, said the Castilian-La Mancha president at the closing ceremony of ‘Castilla-La Mancha, European Sports Region 2024’.
From his point of view, this ‘scalextric’ can only affect “a lot” the proximity of “hundreds and hundreds” of citizens to their homesbut also to heritage, archeology or the visual impact “in a city that is protected.”
“There are engineers who are dedicated to making what is easy very difficult,” said García-Page, for whom “it is essential that the AVE comes, but it has to come with the best possible project.”
«It is essential that the AVE comes» but «To do things well you don’t have to take the middle path, you have to take the best path», he concluded.
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