The concentration aimed to urge Euskal Trenbide Sarea to incorporate residents' main complaints into the project's technical reports. These concerns have been articulated in 2,283 individual allegations, in addition to those submitted by the Arrigorriaga City Council itself and local political parties such as EAJ-PNV and EH Bildu.
Residents have stated that the current route “conditions the future of Arrigorriaga and harms the health of its inhabitants.” This is because the connection point for Iberian gauge freight trains with the Bilbao Abando Indalecio Prieto-Casetas line is set at Lonbo. From that point, the route would no longer be underground, running instead in the open air and traversing the entire urban area of the town.
“"The need to work on viable alternatives that do not mortgage the municipality has been emphasized, such as those formally conveyed by the Arrigorriaga City Council in its technical allegations, meaning the diversion of the Southern Railway Bypass route outside the urban core or its complete undergrounding."
This Friday's mobilization concludes a week of intense advocacy. It began last Sunday, April 19, with a massive demonstration involving over 1,500 participants who marched through the town center. On Wednesday, individual allegations were submitted at the Arrigorriaga Post Office, complemented by a petition with over two thousand signatures and two open assemblies for the public.
The City Council has once again expressed gratitude for the public's response, understanding that they have “taken responsibility for defending Arrigorriaga.” Therefore, it urges the competent institutions “with decision-making capacity” to listen to “the voice of the people” and not proceed with “definitively approving the current informative study.”
