• The Ministry of Public Works will be inviting tenders this year and in 2010 for all the remaining sections of the Talayuela-Cáceres line for contracts worth close to 900 million euro

The Spanish Minister of Public Works, José Blanco, and the Portuguese Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications, Antonio Mendonça, met today in Lisbon to analyse, among other issues, the situation of the future high speed rail link from Madrid to Lisbon.

After the meeting, José Blanco explained the two countries “have strengthened their joint commitment to high speed rail connections” and reiterated “the Spanish Government’s commitment to links with Portugal”.

The Spanish Minister also announced to his Portuguese opposite number the Spanish Government will be giving a “major boost to the Madrid-Badajoz line”.

Blanco highlighted that in the past few days, the Spanish Ministry of Public Works has invited tender offers on the six remaining contracts for the Madrid-Talayuela section.

He also announced that, by the end of 2009, the Government will launch a tender competition for around 260 million euro to complete four sections between Talayuela and Cáceres (two sections between Grimaldo and Cañaveral and another two between Garrovillas and Cáceres) and that, in 2010, contracts for the remaining sections would be open to tender offers for the sum of around 610 million euro.

Finally, Minister Blanco pointed out that construction will begin on all the sections of the high speed rail link between Madrid and Badajoz during the current Government’s term of office.

As regards the cross-border section between Elvas and Badajoz, Blanco indicated that in the first half of 2010, Spain and Portugal will sign an International Agreement pertaining to the construction, financing, operating and jurisdiction of the international station.