The works of the Basque Y are being delayed again, and contrary to the latest forecast made by the Basque Government, the High-Speed Train will not enter into service in 2028. On Monday, the Basque Government authorised Euskal Trenbide Sarea (ETS) to sign the agreement for the construction of the Arkaute link, on behalf of the Spanish Government.

The Arkaute link is an infrastructure that allows the distribution of trains in different directions from the outside of Vitoria-Gasteiz. It is “essential” to connect with Madrid, and its works will not start until 2027. This means that the infrastructure will not be ready until at least 2029. Until the start of the works in Arkaute, the Basque Government will not announce the date of the implementation of the TAV.

The PSE-EE Councillor for Sustainable Mobility, Susana García Chueca, has described as “good news” the signing of the works initiation agreement, although it has indirectly acknowledged that Arkaute’s works will not begin before 2027. According to the forecasts of the Basque Government, the construction project will be tendered “in the first months of 2025”. However, bearing in mind that “the deadlines for drafting these projects are usually 22 to 24 months”, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, said in October that the works will not start in 2026.

García Chueca explained that “the tender for the construction project will be carried out as soon as possible; at the beginning of 2025, the construction project will be drafted and the work will be completed”, avoiding giving more time on the project.

The TAV is full of setbacks 18 years ago

In October 2006, 18 years ago, the works of the High-Speed Train began in the CAV, specifically in Álava. The year planned for the implementation of the APR in 2008, when the three railways were being built, was 2013. A year later it was announced that the project would end in 2015 or 2016, according to the same sources. The implementation date of the macro-infrastructure was delayed to 2015 and 2019.

In May 2017, for the "Y" Vasca to be in place in 2023, the PNV signed a budget agreement with the Government of Mariano Rajoy that included a timetable, deadlines and investments. Months later, Bergara’s works began, but the delay in the tendering process put the pace of the works at risk.

In February 2024, the Basque Government envisaged that the TAV would be ready by 2027, after the completion of the Astigarraga-Hernani section. They have now announced that in the first months of 2025 the project of the Arkaute link will be tendered and that the works will begin in 2027. The Council of Ministers of Spain has approved an investment of EUR 146 million for this work, to which Adif has added a further EUR 34.7 million.