Friday, March 15, 2024, will go down in history as a pivotal day in the campaign to reopen the Guadix-Baza-Almanzora-Lorca railway line, marking the 40th anniversary of its closure. At an event—a summit or meeting, as many have called it—the entire municipal councils of Guadix and Baza, at the initiative of the railway advocacy groups of Guadix and Baza and the business associations of both cities, gathered at the Archaeological Museum of Baza. They were joined by numerous supramunicipal authorities from various political parties, including members of the European Parliament, national deputies, regional parliamentarians, delegates, provincial deputies, and mayors, among others.
An unprecedented union where, in the words of the Mayor of Guadix, Jesús Lorente, “this must be a crucial moment in the history of this demand, a moment in which we must unite to definitively push for the reopening of this line. The reopening of the Guadix-Baza-Lorca railway line is not just an infrastructure project; it is a commitment to the future of our region. It is an opportunity to revitalize our area, to promote tourism, and to improve the quality of life for all our citizens. That is why we must work tirelessly and together for its reopening, which will not only benefit our citizens but will also boost the local and regional economy, creating jobs and attracting investment to our community. But this project cannot be achieved without the support and collaboration of all of us. Together, we can make our region a better place to live, work, and thrive.”
This unity materialized in a document that will be approved in the municipal plenary sessions of Guadix and Baza, requesting that the Ministry of Transport be asked to immediately order the necessary actions for the priority and successful completion of the Informative Study for the reopening of the Guadix Baza Almanzora Lorca railway line (Lorca-Guadix railway corridor) and formally urging the competent authorities to include this railway branch in the route of the Mediterranean Railway Corridor and to promote its inclusion in the Trans-European Transport Network.