canary islands train projects advance

Canary Islands train projects advance with new monitoring commission

Monitoring committees established for inter-island rail projects

The Government of the Canary Islands, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, and the island councils of Tenerife and Gran Canaria have set up the monitoring committees provided for in the protocols signed to drive forward rail projects on both islands and to advance their future financing and execution. The committees will be made up of representatives from the Ministry, the regional government, and both island councils, while Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council will take part as an observer, the Canary Islands government announced in a statement following a meeting held at the Presidency headquarters in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Technical groundwork paves way for long-term funding

The Director General of Transport and Mobility of the Government of the Canary Islands, María Fernández, pointed out that the goal is to complete the necessary technical and legal work to negotiate a multi-year funding agreement that would provide financial stability for both projects and allow initial timelines for execution and launch to be defined. Fernández explained that during this first session, the committees were formally constituted, their members were appointed, and two specific technical groups were established – one focused on mobility and the other on impact and feasibility studies – with plans to meet again before the end of the year to advance the draft of the future funding agreement.

Staged development with coordinated progress

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Sustainable Mobility at the Ministry of Transport, Sara Hernández, indicated that the two infrastructures are at different stages of development, although they continue to make coordinated progress. In this regard, she noted that Gran Canaria already has its Environmental Impact Statement approved, while Tenerife has reported progress made in coordination with AENA to define the route of the southern train as it passes through Tenerife Sur Airport.

Airport link a key milestone for Tenerife

The Minister of Mobility for the Cabildo of Tenerife, Eulalia García, stressed that the agreement reached this week with AENA is an essential requirement for continuing the development of the island’s railway project, as it will make it possible to reconcile future airport redevelopment with an integrated connection at the terminal. From the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the Island Director of Transport, Manuel López, said that the new committee will tackle outstanding technical and legal issues and explore both national and European funding mechanisms for an infrastructure he described as strategic for the island’s sustainable mobility.

Cooperation framework set for scrutiny

The protocols signed by the administrations establish the necessary framework for cooperation to drive forward both rail projects and provide for the signing of specific agreements once their technical, socio-economic, and environmental viability has been demonstrated. The committees formed on Friday will also be responsible for monitoring the progress of the procedures and strengthening the institutional coordination needed to advance the development of the trains on Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

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