Sánchez aims for high-speed Madrid-Lisbon for 2030 but Portugal will prioritize Lisbon-Vigo for 2032

MADRID 23 Oct. () –

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has confirmed Spain’s commitment to completing the high-speed line between Madrid and Lisbon by 2030, although Portugal has assured that its priority is to finish the line that will link Lisbon with Vigo by the year 2032.

Within the framework of the XXXV Hispano-Portuguese Summit, Sánchez has distinguished between the commitment of the Government of Spain regarding Madrid-Lisbon – on which it can only act from Madrid to the border in Extremadura -, and the “shared” commitment with the Portuguese government regarding the Lisbon-Oporto-Vigo line.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegro, wanted to make it clear that his government will prioritize this second connection to the border in Galicia first and that it will even try to anticipate the calendar “as far as possible.”

The Portuguese has described the connection through Extremadura as “second priority”, so the complete completion of the high speed between both capitals could be delayed beyond 2032, despite the Spanish section being completed by 2030.

“The commitment of the Government of Spain regarding the Madrid-Lisbon AVE is 2030, but I insist, it is the commitment of the Government of Spain and it is the horizon in which we are working,” said Sánchez, emphasizing that it is only a promise from the Spanish side, which would allow us to meet the deadline set by Europe.

However, Portugal wants to end the Madrid-Oporto connection as soon as possible, the latter city just 70 kilometers from Galicia, relegating the direct connection to Madrid via Évora and Badajoz to second place.

Montesinos has also assured that there are three other railway connections under study for the future: Aveiro-Salamanca, Faro-Huelva-Seville and Oporto-Braganza-Zamora.