Raquel Sánchez stresses that the arrival of the high-speed train to Galicia crowns a national project aimed at a sustainable development model

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by HM Felipe VI, accompanied by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. The trip was also attended by the Second Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, and the President of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, among other authorities.

In her speech, Raquel Sánchez stressed that the arrival of the high-speed train in Galicia is the crowning glory of a national project that brings together citizens and territories and represents a key step in the transition of our country towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly development model.

The minister also stressed that infrastructure such as the one inaugurated today improves collective mobility and makes it possible to connect almost 30% of Spain's GDP and more than 25% of its population in an ultra-fast manner, which will create wealth and generate multiple opportunities for personal and collective development.

Raquel Sánchez, in this sense, highlighted the importance given by the Government of Spain to the railway with a firm bet on this means of transport and added that modernisation in Galicia does not end with the arrival of the high-speed train, since there are already budgeted actions for next year valued at more than 400 million euros.

Finally, in her speech, the head of Mitma wished to acknowledge the work carried out over many years by different administrations and governments to reach the historic milestone celebrated today, as well as all those who have worked hard to complete this line, which presented considerable technical difficulties, with some thirty tunnels and as many viaducts in this last stretch of 119 km to Galicia.

Arrival of the high-speed train in Galicia

For the arrival of the high-speed railway to Galicia, which will be put into service tomorrow, more than 10 billion euros has been invested, together with the Atlantic Axis, and it will connect Madrid with all the Galician provinces.

The penultimate section, between Zamora and Pedralba de la Pradería, has been in service for a little over a year, which was the first major milestone in terms of reductions in journey times, with an average of 50 minutes less between the main Galician cities and the centre of the peninsula. The next section between Pedralba de la Pradería and Ourense, inaugurated today, as well as the new station of A Gudiña-Porta de Galicia, will allow a further reduction of between 54 minutes and 1 hour and 28 minutes with the new services offering for which the purchase of tickets has been available since 23 November.

Thus, Ourense becomes the key distribution centre of the Galician high-speed railway, connecting with Madrid in 2 hours and 15 minutes. From the capital of Orense, trains will improve their journey times to the rest of Galicia. The LAV Madrid-Galicia is 418 km long, from the Olmedo junction to Santiago de Compostela, where it connects with the Atlantic Axis linking A Coruña, Santiago, Pontevedra and Vigo.

Non official translation