The Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing of the Andalusian Regional Government, Rocío Díaz, has reiterated the «urgent need» for the central government to prioritize the construction of the high-speed railway corridor connecting Seville, Huelva, and Faro. This demand, supported by municipalities, business owners, and civil society on both sides of the border, continues to go unanswered by the central government, the minister lamented, recalling that the government has postponed its implementation to 2050 citing a «supposed» lack of demand.
In the Andalusian Parliament, the Minister of Development took the opportunity during a session to give voice to a long-delayed claim. She emphasized that the AVE between Seville, Huelva, and Faro is not a parochial aspiration but a national necessity, adding that «ignoring it would be a missed opportunity for the government.»
This high-speed railway line will have a transformative and structural impact on the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, crucial not only for Andalusia but for the entire region and its relationships with Portugal.
Furthermore, it would represent a real commitment to territorial cohesion, regional development rebalancing, and improved cross-border connectivity. It would also create a new economic, logistical, and touristic corridor between Seville, Huelva, and Faro, she explained.
«The industrial and commercial impact of this railway axis is undeniable: it would boost logistical hubs and facilitate the export of goods from our ports,» detailed the minister. The Regional Government regrets that, in contrast to this forward-looking vision, the response from the Spanish government has been one of silence, disregard, and excuses, postponing an infrastructure that the Portuguese government has already deemed strategic in its National Railway Plan approved in April 2025.
«Is there no demand, or is there no political will?» the minister questioned, recalling that at the last Hispano-Luso Summit held in Faro, Portuguese authorities called for advancing the line’s commissioning to 2035, demonstrating their strong commitment to this connection.
The Andalusian Regional Government insists that «the future of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula cannot wait another 25 years to board the train of progress.» «The future is not built on empty words but on real investments,» concluded Rocío Díaz.
