The train connection to the airport of Faro and the construction of urban variants along the EN125, which should include the one in Olhão, were two of the works included by the Government in the 2030 National Investment Program. For Jorge Botelho, president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), these are investments that « they serve the Algarve, but there are others that are not in the plan and that we hope will move forward».
Among the investments that are "missing" in the region, the mayor, in declarations to the Sul Informação, highlights the Central Hospital, but there are others, particularly with regard to the railway.
“Everything that is included in the plan is good, but there are more investments that are not or that are smaller investments, and that may have other types of financing, namely at the level of the Ministries”, stresses Jorge Botelho.
When the 2030 National Investment Plan was discussed in the Algarve in September, one of the region's demands was the cross-border rail link to Spain. However, this work was not included and AMAL's president is not strange.
“We are not abandoning the idea, but this is an issue that depends on negotiations with Spain and which has been the target of talks. If, on the other side of the border, there is no interest, it cannot be done. Therefore, it is not surprising that the cross-border link is not in the plan».
The electrification of the Algarve Line, on the other hand, is not part of the PNI 2030 because this is a project that is expected to advance this year. «The information I have from the minister [of Planning and Infrastructure] Pedro Marques is that, in 2019, we will have this work on the ground. But I don't know the month», says Jorge Botelho.
The electrification of the line would allow another type of train to circulate in the Algarve and the president of AMAL hopes that will happen: «I don't know if this will make it possible to replace diesel carriages with electric ones soon, but since we are going to have an electric line, the expectation is that we will have better rolling stock'.
At the beginning of the year, CP launched an international public tender for the purchase of 22 new regional trains, but Jorge Botelho does not know if any of these trains will come to the Algarve.
The PNI 2030 is an integral part of Portugal 2030 and implements part of its medium and long-term structuring investment strategy in the Mobility and Transport, Environment and Energy sectors.
The program covers national level infrastructures located in mainland Portugal, being structured by projects or programs with investments in excess of 75 million euros and has a time horizon of 10 years.
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