Portuguese politicians have decided to suspend the high-speed train link to Spain that would have been completed by 2013, UPI quoted officials as saying. The Legislative Assembly of Portugal made the decision to suspend the estimated $4.7 billion cost to Lisbon Wednesday, but said it may be reconsidered with a revised budget, RTVE reported. Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho confirmed the suspension of the the high-speed rail AVE that connects Lisbon to Madrid, despite having completed half the work in Portugal. "The project could be subject to a re-evaluation, including the contents and calendar, with an eye on optimizing costs," Passos Coelho said. Former Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates asked the European Union for financial help in April of this year in a $112 billion bailout. Portugal must implement a strict program of reduction in public spending under the International Monetary Fund bailout guidelines.
