On April 30, the high-speed rail connection between Málaga and Madrid is set to resume, a date that strategically coincides with the eve of the campaign launch for the Andalusian elections. This announcement has led to a dual narrative within the Andalusian PSOE, with the candidate for the Presidency of the Junta celebrating the news as a success for the central Government.
“"Magnificent news for Málaga and for Andalusia. On April 30, the high-speed rail connection between Málaga and Madrid reopens, after repairing the most serious incident that has occurred in this infrastructure in recent years. Safety is always the priority, and now it is guaranteed. We do deliver on our promises."
However, the party's deputy secretary general in Andalusia and number two on the list for Huelva, has sought to detach the AVE's reopening from any electoral implications, describing the date as a "coincidence" based on technical criteria. This stance aims to preempt potential accusations of institutional propaganda during the pre-campaign period.
The service interruption, which lasted three and a half months, was a consequence of a serious railway incident near Adamuz, Córdoba, in January, resulting in 46 fatalities. Subsequently, a landslide in Álora, Málaga, in February, further complicated the situation. The candidate for the Presidency of the Junta has emphasized that safety has been the priority in the infrastructure's repair.
While the candidate for the Presidency of the Junta highlighted the Government's management, her number two in the Andalusian PSOE has insisted that the line's reactivation is solely due to the completion of safety works. She also took the opportunity to criticize the Popular Party for, in her view, spreading "hoaxes" and "ill intent" during the service disruption period, despite Holy Week in Málaga recording "historic economic figures".
