BILBAO has moved a step closer towards being linked to the Spanish high-speed rail network after the Spanish government gave the go-ahead for the Basque regional government to construct a connection to the Basque Y network.
Under the agreement, the Basque government will ensure that Bilbao Abando station will be connected to the network, at a cost of €226.5m, while infrastructure manager Adif will execute track works, electrification, and signalling for another €53.59m.
The Spanish government says that the agreement represents "an advance" in the development of the Vitoria/Gasteiz - Bilbao - Donostia/San Sebastián Y-shaped high-speed line, which will consist of a total of 172km of standard-gauge track when completed, and eventually form part a high-speed link between Madrid and Paris.
“It is the result of a lot of work, which will allow the Basque administration to give the definitive impetus to the conclusion of this infrastructure that is so important for the country's competitiveness,” the Basque minister for economic development, sustainability and the environment, Ms Arantxa Tapia, wrote on social media after the agreement had been announced.
Completion of the Basque Y network has been delayed for many years due to disagreements between the Spanish central government and the Basque government, mainly on financing, as well as general distrust between the two bodies. With the new agreement, the Basque government continues to aim for completion in 2027, but works are not scheduled to begin until 2026.
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