Overview
- The 2022 fast‑train proposal has been discarded after being judged too costly, with reports placing the price above €2 billion and failing socio‑economic tests.
- The Transport Ministry is weighing a segmented approach that evaluates three tranches of the route independently.
- Officials now point to Bilbao–Castro as the most viable section due to higher projected demand, while the approach to Santander faces environmental and engineering hurdles, including Peña Cabarga.
- President María José Sáenz de Buruaga condemned a partial build as “un fraude monumental” and said her government will not accept “la prolongación de un metro hasta Castro.”
- The Cantabrian government is urging a cross‑party front, and local reporting says Minister Óscar Puente has not returned calls seeking clarification.