- Actors against the TAV and for the railways will hold a demonstration in Altsasu on Saturday 20 April to call for the renewal of railway infrastructure and the increase in train frequency. The respondents recall the existence of an alternative and ask that this study be conducted.
The demand for sustainable transport will be transferred to Alsasua on Saturday. The details and reasons for the demonstration to be held on that day were announced at a massive press conference on Tuesday. Alde Tren Nafarroa, Araba Tren Alde and Goierriko AHTrik Ez platforms have called for mobilisation and have called on all citizens to participate.
It is explained that in Altsasu/Alsasua they will demand the paralysis of the infrastructure works that are being built for the exclusive use of High Speed Trains, but not only that, but the renewal of the current railway infrastructures and the increase in the frequency of trains so that "the train becomes a real means of transport".
For this there is an alternative on the table, a technical study carried out a year and a half ago by several road engineers at the request of the towns and councils affected by the TAV, which would cost EUR 2 billion less than the current project.
The advantages of this alternative are listed: that goods and persons can be transported; that local and regional journeys can be combined with longer journeys; that capital journeys will not increase too much – for example from Vitoria to Pamplona, 8 minutes more –; that the security of current infrastructures will be improved, etc.
Several road engineers conducted a technical study a year and a half ago at the request of the towns and councils affected by the TAV, which would cost EUR 2 billion less than the current project
Respecting the will of the people
According to the calls, the future of the TAV infrastructure is today very much in question, as the French Government has not yet given the green light to the line that would go from Hendaia to Bordeaux, and the calls for the TAV's works to be halted "are gaining more strength than ever". They add that 70% of the municipalities affected by the connection of the Basque Y with the APR are in favor of the presented alternative.
"We call for respect for the popular will, which has been strong in the press, for all the construction of a new railway infrastructure to be halted and for the proposed alternative to be carried out."
The demonstration will start at 18:00 in the afternoon and assure that it will be colorful and beautiful: fans, joaldunak, giants, mythological creatures of Irurtzun, charanga Jotafa, txalapartaris, bertsolaris, tractors and tractors will be "a long and so on": "We will have the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon and, at the same time, to unite the people against the small train.