The Tenerife Cabildo is fully committed to the Southern railway project and has prioritised the section between San Isidro and Adeje, with an estimated cost of around 800 million Euros. This was announced yesterday at a press conference by the President of the island, Rosa Dávila, and the Minister of the Presidency and Territorial Planning, José Miguel Ruano, following a meeting held last Wednesday with the Ministry of Transportation, the Canary Islands Government, and the Gran Canaria Cabildo.
“Establishing trains on the island is an essential objective,” stated the island’s President, highlighting that they are “the only sustainable long-term solution for addressing mobility in Tenerife.” She also noted that during the meeting with the Ministry, “all administrations were aligned towards this goal.”
The Cabildo aims to progress the Southern Rail project phase by phase, with the initial focus on the San Isidro-Adeje section due to its proximity to an industrial zone, an international airport, a hospital, and a high concentration of employment opportunities. “Each day, half a million trips are made in this area, primarily by private vehicles, with 93% being residents,” she added.
It is anticipated that this section of the railway will cater to over 20 million trips annually, making it one of the busiest routes in Spain, second only to Madrid, she highlighted.
To realise this project, Dávila pointed out the need to update the environmental impact assessment, which has lapsed without updates. She stated that instructions have been issued to rectify this. She expressed frustration, mentioning that “since 2019, when the socialist party and Podemos took over governance, there has been a lack of progress on Tenerife’s railway systems.”
In terms of procedures, José Miguel Ruano added that modifying the Insular Planning Plan (PIOT) will be required, estimating that these processes could be finalised within a year for subsequent tendering and contract awards once funding is secured. The Cabildo expressed hope in a statement that the works could commence during this legislative term.
The President mentioned that once initiated, construction on this section could take approximately four years, while the entire network is expected to be completed in around seven years. She noted that discussions with AENA on the South airport expansion have also begun to integrate the rail system into the terminal.
Moreover, Dávila disclosed that the estimated cost for this section is approximately 800 million Euros. “We will contribute a portion, along with significant resources from Brussels and potential funding from the Spanish government,” she said, adding that the total cost for the entire railway system in the Canary Islands and Tenerife combined would be around 4 billion Euros.
When questioned about the Northern train project to Tacoronte-El Sauzal, the island’s President confirmed that all project documents had been provided to the Ministry. However, she highlighted that the Southern train project is more advanced and feasible, suggesting that the Northern line might necessitate alternative solutions due to the terrain and existing developments in the area.
Both leaders stressed the significance of the meeting, forming a task force to “analyse the integration of island rail systems into the national rail network,” in addition to exploring financing options. Dávila informed that this group will convene before the end of April.
