Luis Rodríguez comes to the presidency of the Alicante Port Authority after a long professional career in the Alicante Metal employers' association (Fempa), of which he was general secretary for many years and, in more recent times, president, and where he earned a reputation as patient and tenacious in the always tough negotiation of one of the most important collective agreements in the province.
He was recalled at his official inauguration by the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, who chose him for the position he has held for 45 days, although this morning, in the bright headquarters of the Casa del Mediterráneo, the protocol act that confirms it.
And in his long and elaborate speech, Luis Rodríguez has highlighted as a priority in the immediate future of the Alicante dock that a date be set as soon as possible for the rail connection of the port terminal with the Mediterranean Corridor, with a third exclusive route for goods between the port and the La Encina junction, which is essential for Alicante and its province to take advantage of the advantages that the new transport axis will offer through the train.
The port of Alicante is a connection route for the Peninsula, especially with North Africa and the Canary Islands, and for the new president of the APA it needs investments that allow it to update and be competitive.
For this reason, he recalled that the aforementioned section still "does not have an end date" and stressed that "we cannot afford it", which is why he urged "to ensure that a date can be outlined" and that "a milestone is achieved." " which will include a future intermodal railway station in the port.
Among the immediate challenges, Rodríguez recalled that the signing of the institution's agreement is pending, and has announced that work is being done on the design of a new 2024-28 strategic plan, for the drafting of which he has the participation of the port community, the business organizations, municipalities and all sectors of the province related to the port.
Closing the event, President Mazón agreed on the need to connect the site with the Mediterranean Corridor because "if the port revolution is coming, it is because the railway revolution is coming."
In the presence of the president of State Ports, Álvaro Rodríguez, the head of the Consell has stressed the importance of the transition and collaboration between administrations being exemplary, and among the authorities present he has highlighted the attendance of the mayor of Elx, Pablo Ruz, whose presence has served as an example of the importance that a port so integrated into its city, such as Alicante, has, however, for the province as a whole.
After welcoming the agreement that has allowed the Government to approve the expansion of the Port of València on Tuesday, Mazón has emphasized that "the port of Alicante is not going to be less ambitious than that of València, and it has to be connected by rail with the Corridor Mediterranean, which will make it grow a lot to once again be that port that in the 19th century and early years of the 20th astonished all of Spain."
