European Court of Auditors says AAV is ineffective
- The European Court of Auditors has criticised the European Union's fast-track network in recent decades: it does not structure the EU, it is expensive, it does not respect the planned speed and it does not believe that the target will be met. The report was presented by Oskar Herics of the European Court. Fourteen lines constructed between EU Member States have been analysed, four of them between Member States.
Territorial structuring: "An inefficient mosaic of poorly connected national lines has been built," Oscar Erics, who was in charge of the report, said on Tuesday. The study period is 2000-2017. A total of 30,000 kilometres were planned and 10,000 have been built so far. The report’s conclusion is crucial in this regard: the construction target will not be met by 2030.
The expensive one: Each kilometer of AVE costs 25 million euros. Between 2000 and 2017, the EU contributed 23.7 billion euros to finance the network and almost half of them, 11.2 billion euros were contributed by Spain. In addition, there are significant cost overruns in construction operations. The champion is the Stuttgart-Múnicht line, with a budget of 1.8 billion euros and a budget of 13.273 billion euros, which represents an increase of 622%. But, the extra costs are very general: Madrid-Barcelona-French border, 38.5% more, Madrid-León 33.3% and the Atlantic axis 26.3%.
Terms and Conditions: The report denounces that the construction deadlines of the railways are not being met. The most serious case is that of Munich - Verona (Germany - Italy, crossing Austria). The railway is expected to be completed by 2040 and construction began 37 years ago. The delays of the Basque Y are also very high. The works began in 2006 and the date of completion has been repeatedly postponed: 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021... According to the latest forecasts, it will be completed in 2023.
The Basque Y: The report does not analyse this line in depth, but predicts that it will not be profitable in general. According to the Court’s calculations, in order for a line to be profitable it needs nine million passengers per year and this one will not have it; not even those of Figueres-Perpiya, for example. In addition, he stressed that the Basque Y will also have a great gap in terms of territorial structuring, since the high speed will only reach Hendaye. In the French State, the Paris-Bordeaux line is running at high speed, but the French Government has decided that it will no longer build the Bordeaux-Hendaye line for high speed.
Alternatives to the following: In the light of the above, the EU Court of Auditors says that serious thought should be given to whether all the investments being made should be directed to the fast train or to the upgrading of conventional railways.
The AVE of Navarre: The news comes at a time when the European Court of Auditors has released this harsh report: Adif allocates the five-kilometer portion of the Alesbes-Peralta to the OHL construct for 55.7 million euros. In Navarre, the AVE 200 km railway is planned, and so far fourteen of the 70 km of the Castejon-Pamplona section have been completed.
"Gasteiztik egin ezean, ez da egingo", adierazi du PSNren bozeramaile Ramón Alzorrizek. Kontra azaldu dira Geroa Bai, UPN eta PP.
In recent weeks we have been reading "proposals" for the recovery of the railway line Castec-Soria and the maintenance of the Tudela train station in its current location, or for the construction of a new high-speed station outside the urban area with the excuse of the supposed... [+]
We have been with the "summer snake" over the TAV for a few weeks and with the possibility of linking the "Basque Y" from Pamplona, from Ezkio or Vitoria.
It is disappointing to see that our People continue to depend on decisions concerned and not supported by the galgos and... [+]