News, January 2008

Infrastructure stumbles forward.

January 2008. In 1992, Spain celebrated a World Expo in Sevilla and the Olympics in Barcelona. Barcelona at that time boasted an excellent local transport infrastructure, while the first high speed AVE rail link linked Madrid with Seville (also incidentally home of Felipe González, then president). Since then, Madrid has seen major advances on all transport fronts, with major road, rail and subway schemes allowing substantial expansion of the city and region. In Barcelona, investments were far fewer and the city's population has actually declined as people sought more comfortable -and cheaper- homes outside Europe's most crammed city, only exacerbating the communication problem. Nationally, other regions have also seen far more investment than Catalonia, which is now straining under the deficit.

In the days before Christmas, infrastructure minister Magdalena Alvarez opened two new AVE lines, linking Madrid with Malaga in the south and Valladolid in the north. Barcelona had been promised the AVE in 2002, but the completion of the line has taken far longer and despite hopes that it would be ready by Christmas, workers on the last few miles got that sinking feeling in the autumn, as tunnels caved in before they had been properly sealed, bringing interruptions to the traditional long distance and commuter lines above their heads.

Similar stories can also be told about Barcelona's power supply, which broke down seriously last summer, leaving homes and offices without power for several days. Or we could mention the state of the hospitals, ...

It must be said that by comparison with Madrid the politicians may have some argument, but compared with other major European cities, perhaps Barcelona is not doing that badly. rail difficulties are, of course, intensified by the fact that AVE uses standard European gauge, as opposed to Spanish wide gauge. This is currently not particularly helpful, but the rail link is already under construction from Sants (or rather, the north of the city) to Perpignan, although controversy over the tunnel route under Barcelona, passing within metres of the foundations of the Sagrada Familia church, mean that the full link-up with still take time.

The fire which caused the blackout in early August was perhaps more serious in that it highlighted the absence of investment by power companies more concerned with their bottom line and resisting take-over bids than in investing for the growing demand of 21st century life. At least the seriousness of the blackout alerted politicians to the need for compulsory investment projects.

Meanwhile, on the roads there is a problem of Barcelona's geography, being surrounded by mountains and satellite cities. There remains little space to build the roads and rail lines which the city needs. And the extension at Barcelona's El Prat airport is also well advanced, although while we await completion it is evident that the current 1992 extension is now totally inadequate for the era of budget flying.

Travellers are advised to allow plenty of time to negotiate Barcelona, particularly if they have a flight to catch!

By comparison, Madrid's metro has seen the opening of several new 'light' lines (more like trams) and the extension of most other lines over the past 18 months. For most readers, the key link is to the new Airport terminal 4. Likewise, over the past 5 years 'yet another' ring road has opened, plus 5 new toll radial routes doubling capacity in and out of the city.

We hope that 2008 will bring about improvements to Barcelona, with the arrival of the AVE, the new airport terminal, better power supplies and more investment in hospitals. We may even see more people returning to the city, as the slump in house prices enables more to buy closer to the centre.