Walter Finch
THE Junta de Andalucia president has slammed the Spanish government for ‘laughing’ at Malaga in his strongest plea yet for a Costa del Sol train.
The region’s president, Juanma Moreno, accused the national president, Pedro Sanchez, of ‘looking the other way’ as the province’s power brokers have increasingly lined up to petition the government.
“The least I can ask of a leader is that he has the humility to come to Malaga and explain to the people of Malaga the reasons why he does not invest what we deserve in railways and Cercanías, which will boost the development of a province that generates so many receipts, well-being and future,” he stressed.
Moreno also criticised the ‘disdain and contempt towards the people of Malaga’ that he claims the Transport Minister Oscar Puente has shown.
Puente has notoriously dismissed out of hand various pleas from local politicians and mayors from Malaga, claiming any plans for a train would be too ‘complicated and expensive’.
Moreno pointed out the ‘huge deficit’ in the province’s railway infrastructure and called the government’s indifference is ‘palpable’.
“Malaga cannot continue to develop economically and socially without significant support from the national government,” Moreno continued.
The province is expected to reach a population of two million in the coming years and needs adequate infrastructure to sustain its growth, he pointed out.
“Malaga needs new spaces, new infrastructure that enable development and sustained growth in the coming decades for the benefit of the people of Malaga, of Andalucia, and all Spaniards.”
However, he did acknowledge the complexity of such a large-scale project, Moreno adding: “Initiatives never conclude if they are never commenced—we must start.”
Speaking at the closing of the Provincial Intermunicipal held by the Málaga Popular Party at La Térmica, he concluded by calling the coastal train line a matter of political will and prioritisation.
