Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546133
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2026 NEWS Pension Plans bov.invest@bov.com | 2123 6500 Further informa on on the plan may be obtained from the Key Features Document available from our website www.bov.com. If you invest in this Product, you will not have access to your money before the re rement date. If you stop paying your plan before the selected re rement date, you may not get back as much as you invested as plan charges will con nue to apply. The value of your investment may go down as well as up and you may get back less than you originally invested. Changes in currency exchange rates may also affect the value of investments. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances. Tax legisla on and the amount of rebate may change in the future. This is a limited me offer ending 30 September 2026. Mapfre Msv Life reserves the right to close this offer earlier. The Product is manufactured by Mapfre Msv Life p.l.c., which provides cover under the policy and is distributed by Bank of Valle a p.l.c. This advert is issued by Bank of Valle a p.l.c., 58, Triq San Żakkarija, il-Belt Valle a VLT 1130. Bank of Valle a p.l.c. is a public limited company regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and is licensed to carry out the business of investment services in terms of the Investment Services Act, Cap. 370 of the Laws of Malta and is enrolled under the Insurance Distribu on Act, Cap. 487 of the Laws of Malta, as a Tied Insurance Intermediary for Mapfre Msv Life p.l.c. (MMSV). MMSV (C-15722) is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) to carry on long-term business under the Insurance Business Act, Cap. 403 of the Laws of Malta. Both en es are regulated by the MFSA. Terms and Condi ons apply. Refer to our website on www.bov.com. €200 One- me top-up of up to Tax credit up to €750 Limited Time Offer from €1.33/day Start your Unit-Linked Personal Pension Plan Choose your future today Geo-testing samples for La Valette Line sent abroad for analysis LABORATORY analysis of rock samples collected during the first phase of geotechnical investigations for a proposed rail line between St Paul's Bay and the airport is underway. The rock sampling is part of the initial stage in a 15-year- long project that would even- tually see the construction of a hybrid rail link dubbed the La Valette Line. The samples were obtained through core drilling in Flori- ana and Qormi as part of the early site investigations needed to inform the project's design. A spokesperson for the Sus- tainability Mobility Ministry said the laboratory tests are "purely technical in nature" and will provide engineers with the geological data re- quired for the design process. The spokesperson said results will help shape the detailed planning of the proposed line but will not determine policy decisions related to the wider project. Once the phase one align- ment of the La Valette Line is confirmed, additional core sampling will be carried out at the sites of the planned under- ground stations and along the tunnel sections to gather more detailed information about ground conditions. When unveiling the trans- port strategy earlier this year, Sustainable Mobility Minister Chris Bonett said the first two years of the project would be dedicated to studies needed to support the detailed develop- ment of the preferred route. The proposed line represents the first phase of a mass trans- port network outlined in the government's Mobility in Mo- tion project. The line will link St Paul's Bay to the airport and connect the university-Mater Dei Hospital hub, Qormi and Valletta among other locali- ties. The 24km-long route will in- clude a mix of underground, street level and elevated rail and stations. The stations will be connected to bus nodes and park and ride facilities, ena- bling seamless interchange be- tween modes of transports. The plan for a rapid transit system was unveiled in April by Transport Minister Chris Bonett. However, the hybrid rail sys- tem is only one component of a 15-year transport plan that includes expanded bus and ferry networks, a parking strat- egy, and walking and cycling routes. The La Valette Line will cost an estimated €2.8 billion of which €1.8 billion will be con- struction costs, according to estimates presented to jour- nalists last April. Passengers will not wait longer than 10 minutes to catch the train. However, a detailed develop- ment of the route and station designs will take two years from now to complete. This will be followed by a three-year planning process and the start of procurement processes. The first phase of the line, connecting Vallet- ta with Malta International Airport will take five years to complete, while the rest of the line, connecting Qormi, the hospital and university at Tal-Qroqq, and St Paul's Bay will take another five years. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt The La Valette Line will cost an estimated €2.8 billion