The president of the Regional Confederation of Business Organizations of Murcia, CROEM, José Mª Albarracín, and the general secretaries of UGT and CCOO, Antonio Jiménez and Santiago Navarro respectively, representing the businessmen and workers of the Region of Murcia, have signed a document that requires the basic railway infrastructure for development regional.
Albarracín, Jiménez and Navarro consider that railway infrastructures are “tools at the service of social cohesion, equal opportunities and economic development of territories” and, based on that premise, denounce "the historical deficit that our Region has suffered in terms of this type of infrastructure", which has meant "an unquestionable burden, in terms of economic and social progress."
For the economic and social agents, the definitive connection of the Murcian community with the Mediterranean freight rail corridor is a “fundamental” action that cannot continue to be postponed and it would be a positive impact for all of Spain, since they would be connected, every time their route to Andalusia was concluded, the main ports of the Mediterranean facade, from the border with France to Algeciras.
The Corridor, remember, would allow to connect one of the most important agri-food areas in Spain, the base of important exports to Europe, as well as the Escombreras energy hub and a port with the extraordinary potential of Cartagena. In this sense, the extension of El Gorguel is considered key, once it has passed the mandatory legal and environmental controls.
However, the president of the businessmen and the union leaders show their concern about the fact that last July 3, the General Assembly of FERRMED revealed the state in which the section Monforte del Cid (Alicante) -Murcia is located, where the old line that joins the provinces of Alicante and Murcia has been used in part for High Speed, so currently the rail freight corridor ends in Monforte and does not continue towards the region.
CROEM, UGT and CCOO, in tune with FERRMED, denounce the continuous delay suffered by railway infrastructures in the Region, and, in particular, that of the Mediterranean freight corridor, has conditioned and conditions economic development, job creation, Competitiveness of the Murcian productive fabric, sustainability and social cohesion. The three organizations join the request addressed to the Ministry of Development to proceed “urgently” to award and execute the necessary works to continue this corridor to Murcia, Cartagena and Andalusia, in the terms proposed by FERRMED.
Further, businessmen and unions in the region share the need to prioritize the Cartagena-Murcia-Albacete corridor and the freight station north / west of Murcia, necessary for intermodality and logistics. This corridor must be mixed, unfolded and electrified, for passengers at 250 km / hour and for merchandise, and is essential for the development of the region and its approach to the center and north of the peninsula.
The document concludes by emphasizing the convenience of the High Speed connection with Cartagena being made through the central corridor, with connection to Corvera Airport, and calling for the Madrid-Levante High Speed Line works to be accelerated, between Alicante and Murcia, as well as its continuity towards Lorca and Andalusia.