Train or tram in Tenerife is the pressing question that still has not been assigned an answer due to proponents and opponents.
The debate on whether to implement a train or tram in Tenerife was a key topic at a summit in Madrid focusing on mobility in the Canary Islands. The Canarian government and the regional island councils of Tenerife and Gran Canaria are seeking funding in the Spanish capital.
The primary aim of the meeting with the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, was to secure funding for train projects on the two largest islands of the Canary archipelago. Previously, a Canarian delegation had traveled to Brussels with the same objective.
Complementary
For Tenerife, the focus is particularly on the train connecting the south with the capital. The island government, the Cabildo de Tenerife, recognizes in the Plan Insular de Movilidad Sostenible that an effective railway system has not yet materialized, and that the train project between Santa Cruz and Adeje has become a melancholic dream due to the great uncertainty surrounding its realization. The question remains unanswered; will there be a train or tram in Tenerife?
The draft text for the summit not only mentions the financial feasibility that the central government must provide but also emphasizes that a train must have social and economic consensus for its implementation in the medium and long term. Moreover, a train should not compete with existing transport systems but should be complementary.
Expensive Train
Ambrosio Jiménez, secretary of the Association of Technical Engineers of Public Works of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, considers the implementation of the train unviable. The expert pointed out that necessary and functional works must be carried out and infrastructures optimized. He cited the construction of the train connection from León to Asturias, which is 50 kilometers long and took 20 years, as an example. Thus, he reasoned similarly for Tenerife: 75 kilometers to the south would take 30 years, cost 2.2 billion euros, and moreover, would not solve the mobility problems in Tenerife.
Not Sustainable
The secretary stated that the association discussed the project last year in a sectoral meeting with the Directorate-General for Traffic, professional associations, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Cabildo de Tenerife. The association expressed accusations against the islands’ sustainable mobility plan. The train project is not profitable, not functional, and will not be operational in time. As planned and approved in the Special Territorial Plan, the train route between the capital and Adeje would cost about 2.2 billion euros. The 75-kilometer route would consist of seven sections.
New Tram Connections
Contrary to the Tren del Sur, Jiménez advocates expanding the number of tram lines in Tenerife. The secretary sees the need to connect the Los Cristianos-Las Américas area, with the possibility of extending to San Isidro and the Polígono – the industrial area – of Granadilla de Abona. This could be achieved through a standard tram connection traveling at 50 kilometers per hour or a train-tram that reaches speeds of 100 kilometers per hour, as has been used in Germany since the 1980s.
The engineer adds other possible lines, such as extending from La Laguna to Los Rodeos and further to Tacoronte. Also feasible is the tram network Caletillas – Candelaria – Polígono de Güímar, and Puertito de Güímar, considering these routes are prone to traffic jams.
Options
The Cabildo de Tenerife is considering various temporary scenarios and alternatives to improve traffic flow in the island’s Plan Insular de Movilidad Sostenible. The possibilities were highlighted as an optional railway ring with four major routes.
The southern train from Santa Cruz to Adeje (and the extension to Fonsalía), the northern train between Santa Cruz and Los Realejos (and the extension to Icod de los Vinos), the western train from Icod de Los Vinos to Adeje, and an underground train between Güímar and La Orotava. The plan also includes two bus lanes: one on the TF-5 highway between Santa Cruz and Los Realejos and one on the TF-1 between Santa Cruz and Güímar.
Train or tram in Tenerife? Experts reject the southern train and favor extending the tram line, although it will not be profitable, functional, or quickly operational.
Guy Devos © AI Illustration
Train or tram in Tenerife ©
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