The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, said this Friday (6) that “there are all the conditions” for Lisbon and Madrid to be connected by high-speed trains in 2034, after recognizing that the timetables assumed in the Iberian summits are not always fulfilled.
Montenegro highlighted that studies are underway for the third crossing over the Tagus and the Lisbon-Madrid high-speed connection, “but there is a connection that has already been made, between Évora and the border”, corresponding to “a substantial part of the route that falls to Portugal”.
“And, therefore, there are all the conditions to carry out the Lisbon-Madrid connection by 2034”, as well as, “if the technical validation that is underway” has “good results”, for “the entry into operation in the meantime” of this section has already been built.
Luís Montenegro was speaking in Huelva, Spain, at a joint conference with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, during the 36th Iberian summit.
Both were questioned about railway connection projects and others that recurrently appear in the final declarations and agreements of Portuguese-Spanish summits, without execution deadlines being met.
Montenegro acknowledged that “the execution deadlines” of the projects assumed in the summit agreements “are not always desirable”, but argued that it was necessary to clarify that, in the case of trains, the works are progressing.
In addition to the connection between the two capitals, he said that the high-speed line that will connect Lisbon, Porto and Vigo (in Galicia) is currently being built, with the Government estimating completion in 2032 or 2033.
As for the connection between Aveiro and Salamanca, and between Faro and Seville, the intention to continue studies related to the two projects is again mentioned in the Huelva summit documents.
Regarding the case of the Faro-Seville line, which will pass through Huelva, the Portuguese Prime Minister highlighted that it was only mentioned for the first time in the statements of the Iberian summits in the previous meeting between the Governments of Portugal and Spain, held in Faro, in October 2024.
Pedro Sánchez, for his part, considered that “it is true that some investments need to be accelerated and streamlined” and guaranteed Spain’s commitment to implementing the agreed railway connections, highlighting that several are linked to important projects and initiatives for both countries, such as the 2030 football world cup.
Both Montenegro and Sánchez highlighted, however, the importance and impact of the Iberian summits and the agreements that emerged from the meetings, both giving the example of this year’s storms that hit the Iberian Peninsula and the management of the flows of shared rivers.
Both highlighted that even more serious situations were avoided thanks to cooperation between the two countries and the agreements on water resulting from the Faro summit in 2024.
“It is therefore a good example for us to highlight that these summits are not just the signing of documents, they are not just a new opportunity for us to share points of view, this has a practical effect and a result that can be achieved later”, said Luís Montenegro.
Luís Montenegro, who expressed solidarity and left a word of “comfort” for Spain due to the impact of bad weather in the country and the victims of recent train accidents, highlighted the cooperation and coordination between the two governments due to the floods.
Joint management of flows “was essential to ensure that the consequences were not even worse” in both countries, “but particularly on the Portuguese side”, he said.
Sánchez also expressed the Spanish people’s solidarity with Portugal because of the effects and victims of the bad weather.
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