Finally, the first high speed train connection between Andalucia & Portugal is in the works 

The major new high-speed railway project, which would connect Sevilla and the Algarve through Huelva, has made a significant step forward after a meeting took place between Andalucia’s regional president and Portugal’s Minister for Environment and Energy.

Juanma Moreno of the Junta de Andalucia met Maria da Graca Carvalho Thursday. The two pledged their cooperation in cross-border areas, such as water, wildfires or, most importantly, transport links.

On the agenda, the much-anticipated highspeed train line between Sevilla and Faro in southern Portugal was a top priority.

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Calling it a ‘priority’ project, Moreno highlighted the strong potential for economic growth and job creation if the two regions were better connected.

Moreno stated during a press conference held with Carvalho that “we are more prosperous the better connected we are.”

This is about more than just transporting goods. It’s also about people, tourists and creating opportunities.

This project would be Andalucia’s only high-speed border link. It would stop at Huelva. 

According to Moreno, a first draft of the plan has already been drawn up and awarded, and the Junta has offered full cooperation with the Spanish central government to get it off the ground ‘as soon as possible’.

The proposal is part of a wider discussion about how to boost development in the southern Iberian Peninsula.

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Moreno stated that “the periphery is just as important as the center” and urged the EU to invest into transport infrastructures which promote growth in areas like Andalucia.

The project was part of a broader discussion between the two leaders that also touched on environmental issues, including water conservation and the recovery of the Iberian lynx – a species once on the brink of extinction.