Spat between neighbours over stops on Murcia’s high speed AVE train route

MURCIA region president Fernando Lopez Miras declared recently that the Murcia-Madrid AVE high speed train should not stop in Orihuela and Elche.

“If we have a stop every 50 kilometres, then that’s not high speed,” he said.

Lopez Miras’ Valencian Community counterpart Ximo Puig immediately described the suggestion as inappropriate and called for “respect” for the region’s southern area.

Speaking to the Spanish media in Albuixech (Valencia) on December 17 Puig pointed out that the Murcia AVE involved not only Murcia but also the Valencian Community and at least 600,00 people were affected by the Elche and Orihuela stops.

The Vega Baja had more than 500,000 inhabitants while Elche had 200,000, Puig added.  “We’re talking about a very important population, the same as the Murcia region’s,” he said.

“We have nothing to say against Murcia and never have, but we believe that the Valencian Community, the south, the Vega Baja and Elche deserve respect.”

Toni Frances, spokesman for the PSOE party on the Diputacion provincial council announced that the socialists intended to register a motion for the next plenary meeting, calling for support for the Elche and Orihuela AVE stops.  

“Alicante province can’t do without railway stops and infrastructure,” he said.

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