Passage to Portugal

Betty Henderson

WITH the return of international travel and a focus on sustainable transport, Spanish train company Iryo’s plans for a new link between Spanish cities and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon seem to have charmed the European Union.

The European Commission announced its endorsement for a rail link between A Coruña and Lisbon, placing it on their top 10 list of rail projects to be carried out in the near future.

The train company expressed their delight at being selected but said that “obstacles” remain in their path to creating the rail link, particularly in the lack of infrastructure agreements between Portugal and Spain.

Portugal currently has very limited rail infrastructure which the company believes will “serve as an impetus for other companies to develop their own sustainable transport”.

However, Iryo remains ambitious about the project saying, “This train will become the most popular choice with travellers since it will be comfortable and sustainable”. Iryo already operates several train lines in Spain including a highspeed service from Madrid to Barcelona and connections to the south of the country.