The PNV’s head of list to the Congress for Gipuzkoa, Maribel Vaquero, has denounced the “State’s abandonment of Euskadi” in the rail sector and has called for “more rail self-government, beyond the competences recently transferred.”
During a rally in Tolosa (Gipuzkoa), Vaquero lamented that “governments change in Madrid, ministers change, but Euskadi keeps waiting,” because “it doesn’t matter who governs Madrid, the commitments to the rail infrastructures of Euskadi are dragged out and investments never arrive with the necessary determination.”
In the face of this situation, she has argued that the PNV is “every day demanding that what was promised be carried out,” after “decades of a centralist policy that has relegated the needs of Euskadi.” In her view, “a radial high-speed network designed from Madrid and for Madrid has been prioritized, while the Atlantic Corridor, which is a strategic axis, continues without being developed.”
The jeltzale candidate stressed that “Euskadi needs competitive rail connections with Europe,” as it is “the northern gateway of the peninsula to Europe.” “Our industry, our ports, our economy need competitive rail connections,” she insisted, underscoring that “Europe is betting on trans-European corridors and Madrid continues, continues dragging along a centralist vision of infrastructure.”
In relation to the Basque ‘Y,’ she emphasized that “Euskadi has complied and has shown that it knows how to do things and that when it can decide and carry out things, they move forward.” She recalled that “the Gipuzkoan sections of high speed have been finished for years,” but “we keep waiting for the State, for Adif to do the same in the sections it manages.”
Vaquero cited as an example the Irun-Brinkola Cercanías line, which she considers “an example of the State’s abandonment,” due to “years of enduring run-down stations, accessibility promises, and lack of maintenance.” She added “the never-ending third-track works that have turned the service into a succession of delays, cancellations, and constant changes.” In her judgment, “what should be the backbone of Gipuzkoa’s mobility has become an example of how not to manage a public service.”
As he has highlighted, "the citizens of Gipuzkoa and of Euskadi do not ask for privileges; they ask for work, for the trains to arrive on time, for sufficient frequencies, for accessible stations, and for a service worthy of the 21st century". In this regard, he has demanded "more rail self-government and less dependence on Madrid", since "experience shows that Euskadi manages better what it has the capacity to decide on".
"When Euskadi manages, Euskadi works", he has reiterated. For that reason, he has explained that the PNV aims to "recover punctuality and frequencies" in Cercanías de Gipuzkoa and to guarantee to the users of these services "the Euskotren standards". "We do not want to keep depending on decisions made hundreds of kilometers from here, by people who do not know our needs and do not suffer the consequences of their delays," he added.
Against that model, he has insisted that jeltzale training intends "to continue moving forward on rail self-government, beyond the competences recently transferred". In his view, "we need investments, timetables and decisions, not more announcements that are repeated legislature after legislature, whoever is in government".
"MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF EUSKADI"
Vaquero has demanded that whoever occupies the Moncloa after these elections "comply with Euskadi". "We are going to keep demanding every investment, every competence and every pending commitment with Euskadi," he warned.
Finally, he has reiterated that "when Euskadi manages, Euskadi works" and has pointed out that this is what the PNV demands, offering "a policy, not only to deal with the PP-Vox bloc, but also to demand more self-government, to defend Euskadi and also rail self-government".