Cohesion Policy: European Commission invests in high-speed rail connection in Galicia

The European Commission has approved a major investment of almost €226 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the construction of a rail track between Lubián and Taboadela in north-west Spain. This project will help to remove bottlenecks, significantly reduce travel times and increase passenger comfort as well as service frequency. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “This EU investment through Cohesion Policy will greatly benefit passengers and business with safer, faster and greener transport services. This project will also boost the local and EU economy at large as it is part of the EU’s Trans-European Network better linking the south-west Europe with the rest of the continent. It is these kind of projects that help us make the European Green Deal a reality.” The railway line is expected to be operational as of January 2022 and it will cover 48.5 km of the 548 km high-speed railway from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The EU is investing nearly €2.8 billion to improve Spain’s network infrastructures and transport under the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds.