Almost a year and a half after the death of the writer Almudena Grandes (Madrid, 1960-2021), her family, friends, public representatives and travelers have gathered in Atocha to pay tribute to her with a view to establishing roots: naming the station after her. with more passenger traffic in the country. A recognition that, however, neither the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, nor the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, have joined.
"The next station will always be Almudena Grandes", said Luis García Montero, moved, who from the old passenger building has been able to see how a large white shawl fell to the ground and revealed the name of his wife in front of the tropical garden from Atocha.
The author, born on May 7, 1960, and who became known with 'Las edades de Lulú' in 1989, was also named Madrid's favorite daughter in February 2022 posthumously, after passing away on November 27, 2021 at age 61 because of cancer.
García Montero has thanked this new tribute on behalf of his family, his children, Almudena's sister and his closest friends and has assured that the train is part of the family because "since we began to live together, the Madrid- Granada, Granada-Madrid were part of the family", as well as the trips to Cádiz "where we also found hospitality".
The PSOE candidate for Mayor and former Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, has criticized the absence of the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, in the presentation of the change of name from the Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes station.
During her attendance at the event, the socialist defended that Grandes now has "undoubtedly her best legacy in Madrid" and regretted that the mayor and the president were missing from the meeting, where all the "present" institutions should be.
"Without a doubt, institutional loyalty is demonstrated in these acts and the non-presence of anyone from the City Council or anyone from the Community once again reveals the disloyalty towards the person of Almudena Grandes, towards the family, but also towards the institution that today convenes, the Government of Spain", has indicated below.
