By Giles Brown

The PSOE Socialist Party wants central government to re-tender the controversial testing ring for high-speed trains in Antequera.

It comes after German multinational Siemens confirmed its interest in investing in the unpopular project, which would see trains reaching speeds of up to 520km/h.

The socialist party boss says the move would create much-needed jobs and turn the province into a ‘leader of rail technology’.

A previous tender crashed into the buffers after the test track failed to attract a single bid.

But PSOE boss Miguel Angel Heredia now claims that the that tender was ‘botched’ and that unfair terms posed a ‘great economic risk’ for potential bidders.

He has now asked that the obstacles be removed.

Heredia demanded that central government negotiate a moratorium with the European Union, so that the 250 million euros that the European Regional Development Fund had earmarked for the project are not lost.

He also criticised the lack of political will of the PP and said that the lack of funds in the State Budget for the project underlined this.

However, local residents have voiced their opposition, claiming that the ring will have a huge environmental impact on the area.

They insist there will be incalculable damage to villages including Fuente de Piedra, Mollina, Alameda and Humilladero, as well as the traditional farming area of La Vega.

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