The conflict between the city authorities and the Ministry of Transport in Valencia has intensified due to the prolonged extension of the southern section of the Serrería railway tunnel. Mayor María José Catalá stated that the project, intended to connect the city center with the sea and eliminate the ‘railway scar,’ is blocked for political reasons. According to her, the ministry does not explain why the feasibility study, already 76% complete and funded by the state, has not been finalized.
In response to the delays, the People’s Party announced the filing of six parliamentary initiatives to push the project forward. Valencia MP Alma Alfonso stressed that this is a strategic infrastructure for the city, essential for the development of the port, coastal areas, and the completion of the green zone along the former Turia riverbed.
Arguments of the parties
The Ministry of Transport insists that the extension of the Serrería tunnel cannot be implemented at this time due to incompatibility with the works on the Mediterranean Corridor. According to their data, expanding the tunnel would require halting traffic on a key railway route, while full undergrounding is only possible after completion of the passage tunnel. The city hall disagrees: in Catalá’s view, the delay impedes the development of the Grau district and the connection of Penya-roja and Nazaret with the rest of the city.
Catala called on Minister Oscar Puente to work together and expressed her readiness to publicly discuss the details and timeline of the project. The city has already allocated 200,000 euros in the 2025 budget for the preparation of technical documentation, and earlier the parties had reached a preliminary agreement on the option of partially burying the tracks at a cost of around 250 million euros. This compromise would make it possible to connect new and old neighborhoods and extend Alameda to the sea.
Politics and Interests
The government delegate and leader of the Socialists in Valencia, Pilar Bernabe, believes that the city hall has its own interests in developing the surrounding areas. She recalled that businesses and the public are demanding that the three provincial capitals be linked by high-speed rail by 2027 and that key stages of the Mediterranean Corridor be completed. According to her, Catala must explain how the reclaimed land will be used and whether it will become just another parking lot, as has happened with other city projects.
Context and Consequences
In July 2024, the city hall and the government announced a preliminary agreement on the partial burial of the Serrería tracks. However, since then the parties have not signed the protocol or exchanged the necessary documents. The issue of financing remains open: the ministry is already carrying out projects in Valencia worth more than 2 billion euros, and the city and regional authorities are expected to participate in co-financing the new phase.
The situation with the Serrería tunnel reflects a broader trend of political disagreements in Valencia, where infrastructure projects often become a subject of disputes between different levels of government. Similar conflicts have already affected the city’s development, as was the case with restrictions on tourist apartments and transport in the center, which was previously reported in the article about the pressure on the city’s infrastructure.
