The President of the Catalan Association of Family Businesses (ASCEF), Amadeu Jori, participated at a business event held in Valencia yesterday to assess the status of the development of the Mediterranean Corridor. Catalan family businesses, like other business associations, called on the Government to ensure that the project does not undergo any further delays and is completed in 2025. The event was attended by Spain’s Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, José Luis Ábalos.

ASCEF acknowledged the progress made on the international gauge rail platform and the opportunity to receive investment from Community funds for economic reactivation through alignment with the requirements of the EU plan. However, the Association also requested that the connection with the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona should not be ignored and expressed its hope that the Perpinyà-Montpellier stretch does not become a bottleneck if it fails to be concluded until 2034.

“A modern, fast rail freight line is a strategic infrastructure, one that is essential for the competitive development of exports in Catalonia and for companies to exploit their full potential in Europe,” Mr Jori said. Greater capacity in train traffic together with greater regularity and speed will not only facilitate logistics but will also reduce costs as rail transport is cheaper. In addition, trains cause less pollution.