The Spanish National High Court (Audiencia Nacional) has ordered the immediate halt of the works of the High Speed Line between Palencia and Cantabria, executed by Adif AV at the northern exit of the capital of Palencia.
The ruling, which upholds Ecologistas en Acción and the Plataforma en Defensa del Soterramiento del Ferrocarril de Palencia’s appeal, considers the works illegal and demands the demolition of everything built and the restoration of the land to its original state.
The court ruling highlights that Adif executed the works without communicating the construction project to the municipal urban planning administration, failing to comply with the obligation to obtain a report from the City Council.
Moreover, the project presented differed substantially from the informative studies approved in 2010 and 2018, which contemplated the burying of the railway through the city.
Palencia City Council, governed by the PSOE, has welcomed the sentence and has urged the Ministry of Transport to respect the informative studies. Adif, for its part, maintains that the railway connection with Cantabria is “unrenounceable” and could appeal against the court decision, which is not yet final.