This Sunday, approximately two thousand people participated in a demonstration in Arrigorriaga against the planned route for the Southern Railway Variant. This project considers the Lonbo area as the most probable connection point for the Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto-Casetas Iberian gauge line. Freight traffic would be almost entirely underground up to this point, but beyond it, the route resurfaces, a condition the municipality is unwilling to accept.
“"We will do everything in our power to state loud and clear that Arrigorriaga will not allow freight trains to pass through the center of the urban area."
At the end of the protest, a municipal spokesperson conveyed the firm stance of the local government. The public response has been significant, with 2,142 signatures collected and the acquisition of flags bearing the slogan ‘HTS-VSF erdigunetik kanpora. Alternatibal orain!’, which are now displayed on windows and balconies. Furthermore, there has been massive attendance at two previously held informational assemblies.
Sunday’s demonstration, attended by representatives from all political groups in the corporation, began shortly after 13:00 and, after traversing the urban center, concluded three-quarters of an hour later in the Town Hall square. In their closing remarks, the municipal spokesperson affirmed their commitment to continue working to prevent the implementation of the alternatives study, indicating they would appeal to ETS, the Basque Government, or even Madrid.
The Arrigorriaga City Council is currently focused on gathering the maximum number of individual objections possible. To this end, they have made available to the public a document requesting the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility not to proceed with “the definitive approval of the informative impact study” of the Southern Railway Variant nor with “the tender for its construction project”. The document also urges a “new analysis of alternatives” or, if applicable, the issuance of “an unfavorable environmental impact statement”.
As explained by an attendee at the demonstration, they are not against the railway infrastructure itself, but believe that “progress must be reconciled with quality of life”. In the case of the current proposal for the second phase of the Southern Railway Variant project, “the route is largely underground and will not harm populations on the left bank or in Basauri”. However, “this tunnel ends at Lonbo, and the impacts on Arrigorriaga’s urban area have not been considered”. In their opinion, this constitutes “a comparative grievance”, and they attended the demonstration to demand “that it be buried one more kilometer, because we are not second-class citizens and our health is at stake”.
Indeed, the individual objection document specifically refers to “nuisances” such as “noise and vibrations” already suffered by Arrigorriaga residents due to the railway line, which could be exacerbated “with the new infrastructure”. The deadline for submitting objections is this Wednesday, April 22. They will be delivered at 12:00 at the Arrigorriaga Post Office, and although no concentration has been called, “people are encouraged to attend with flags”. The next planned protest action will be on Friday, April 24, in front of the Euskal Trenbidea Sarea office in Bilbao, at 12:00.
