Oviedo (EFE).- The Government of Asturias has summoned today the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda to compensate the Principality for non-compliance and “unassumable” delays with its rail communications and to urgently undertake rigorous public planning of investments that alleviate “the very strong deterioration of its credibility.”
In an institutional declaration approved at the meeting held today, the Executive chaired by the socialist Adrián Barbón requires the assumption of responsibilities in the Ministry for the “chain of errors” related to the contract for the purchase of new trains for the metric gauge network for the communities of Asturias and Cantabria.
In addition, he assures that it is not his responsibility to specify in which departments or positions they fall, “but he does demand that they reach the hierarchical levels that correspond to such an absurdity, so that said responsibilities are purged and the corresponding dismissals are carried out.”
For the Asturian Executive, “the mess, bordering on ridiculous and inexplicable in the eyes of the public, will lead to a delay in the delivery of the planned units”, some trains that are urgently needed to renew the current “aged and deteriorated” fleet and that are essential for the metric gauge network to offer a dignified rail service to the public.
Thus, it proposes that the administrative processing and the terms of execution of the contract be shortened as much as possible and that it include the additional options included in the specifications to include other complementary ones that allow the total renewal of the fleet of metric gauge trains in Asturias.
The Principality will “watch” to avoid further delays
Given that the construction of the new trains is part of the broader objective of improving the rail commuter service, the Principality requests that the plan negotiated with the Ministry be executed in all its ends, which estimated the investment to be undertaken at 997 million.
In addition, it ensures that it will monitor so that there are no new delays in the renovation works underway or scheduled and requires the Ministry’s commitment to account for compliance with the planned actions and that any public contracting is subject to assessed deadlines.
The Asturian Government claims to have always practiced “dialogue and institutional loyalty” and that, with these premises, it will attend the meeting scheduled for the 20th at the Ministry of Transport in which the President of the Principality and his Cantabrian counterpart, Miguel Ángel, will participate. Revilla, with which he ensures that the unity of action is “full” regardless of the different political sign of both executives.
Apart from the controversy over commuter trains, the statement by the Asturian Government also demands that doubts be cleared up about the “exact” date for the Pajares Bypass to come into service, which will allow the arrival of high-speed rail in Asturias, initially scheduled for May and that the Ministry has now postponed until July or August of this year. EFE