“Both the PP and the Executive in Madrid have punished Móstoles and Navalcarnero by not granting them a suburban train”

In relation to the statements made today by the councilor of the Presidency and Justice and spokesman for the Regional Government of Madrid, Ángel Garrido, on the Móstoles-Navalcarnero train and OHL Concesiones’s involvement in the project, OHL has replied as follows:

“OHL Concesiones has not adopted any unjustified unilateral decisions at any time. All its decisions related to the Móstoles-Navalcarnero train concession have been the outcome of the passive attitude adopted by the PP and Executive in Madrid, punishing the local residents by not providing a train service between Móstoles and Navalcarnero. The Regional Government of Madrid (CAM, by its Spanish acronym) is guilty of a culpable breach, as manifested in the contentious-administrative proceedings filed by OHL before CAM, requesting termination of the concession contract. Furthermore, OHL Concesiones has challenged the fine ordered, on the grounds of its arbitrariness”.

“OHL trusts that the courts will decide in its favor and would like Móstoles residents to finally see their wish come true, for example removal of the ground rails of the C5 line, and for Navalcarnero locals to be provided with a modern and fast link to the capital”.

The Regional Government of Madrid awarded a tender to OHL Concesiones to construct and operate the train, following the refusal of the Ministry of Public Works to complete the project; this raised hopes for valuable real estate developments in Navalcarnero, which unexpectedly came to a halt due to Spain’s serious financial and real estate crisis.

OHL Concesiones has invested 165 million euros in own resources in the works, without the Madrid Administration contributing the 50 million euros committed to in the concession contract; nor has it fulfilled its obligation to amend the risk-available traffic agreement.

In this scenario and given the huge financial/real estate crisis, in July 2010 OHL was forced to apply for contractual termination, before the Regional Government of Madrid, then presided by Esperanza Aguirre, on the grounds of the Administration’s culpable breach.

In 2011, CAM requested that OHL Concesiones withdraw its contractual termination request, undertaking to find a solution to the problem. OHL agreed to withdraw its termination request and presented various proposals to unblock the situation whilst Ignacio González was in office, without the Madrid Government examining or endorsing any of these.