The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, accompanied King Felipe VI on the maiden voyage of the Spanish high-speed train (AVE) to the northwest region of Galicia, following the entry into service of the section between Pedralba de la Pradería (Zamora) and Ourense.
The arrival in Galicia of the high-speed railway line culminates a process that began in 2007. From now on, the train connection between Madrid and the once remote Galicia region is reduced to a journey of two and a quarter hours.
The first high-speed line between Galicia and the central plateau enters service after the inauguration of the last section between Pedralba de la Pradería and Ourense.
"It is a journey of almost 120 kilometers through a spectacular landscape, with 31 tunnels and 32 viaducts that give a good idea of the enormous complexity that its construction has entailed," Prime Minister Sánchez emphasized.
"From the Government of Spain we have always been clear that the arrival of the AVE to Galicia was an absolute priority," stressed the head of the Spanish government upon his arrival at the Ourense station, after completing the first full route by AVE between Madrid and Galicia.
11-billion-euro investment
Also traveling on the train were King Felipe VI, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, the Galician-born Yolanda Díaz, and the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, among other authorities.
According to the Spanish government, the AVE railway line to Galicia consists of an investment of 10,95 billion euros, of which 10,060 million have already been executed, 92% of the total planned.
