Subterranean rail link Corvera Airport

Final route agreed for new high- speed rail line

The decision has been announced today that the final route for the new Murcia-Cartagena TVA high velocity railway track will take the central option of the three under consideration, which, although the most expensive, and most labour intensive, and which will inevitably slow down the construction process,  will enable it to link via the new Corvera Airport.

The route goes right through the middle of the Sierra de Carrascoy and will involve the construction of a 7km long tunnel, but was the only proposed route which would make an airport link viable, which is good news for all those with fears that the airport construction may stall as it demonstrates firm commitment from the regional authorities to continue with the project.

Subterranean Rail Link

The train link from the airport will all be subterranean, with an underground railway station enabling arrivals to the airport to connect quickly and easily to Cartagena and Murcia.

Again, this is a more costly option, but was preferable to disrupting major road networks.

Now that the decision has been made as to the final route the line will take, formal  licensing agreements will need to be drawn up before works can begin in 2011.

More news on the railway front has come with the news today that Renfe are planning to change all their trains on the Murcia-Lorca-Alicante track, which will result in 12 new trains, sporting the latest technological advances and comforts taking over the existing route.

The company had originally  planned to modernize a lesser number of trains, but having examined carefully the logistical implications of changing just part of the stock, they decided to take the plunge and buy completely new models.

Meanwhile, Lorca Town Hall are up in arms that the new high speed line linking Murcia to Andalucia will not be stopping in Lorca, but will continue to Vera, bypassing Lorca.

The mayor is angrily denouncing this decision as a political one, claiming that this decision has only been made because a number of PSOE Politicians, including the Prime Minister himself, together with several high ranking members of the PSOE party,  have holiday homes around that area.

He is furious that he had to find this news out for himself on the ADIF website (ADIF being the body responsible for administering railway infrastructures and managing rail traffic), claiming that Lorca had been promised a high speed rail station.

"The conclusion", he said, "is that these people intend to put the high speed train at the doors to their holiday homes, once again marginalizing Lorca", and  "that this is a clear and flagrant act of treachery to the interests of the municipality."