The idea of a 34-mile railway along the Costa del Sol region in southern Spain – connecting many of the country’s most popular tourist destinations – has been a dream for around 35 years but has yet to materialise.
However, the hotly anticipated train – which would link Nerja with Malaga, Marbella, Fiengirola, Estepona and Algeciras – has now taken one step closer to becoming a reality.
As part of the feasibility study launched last December, 15 companies submitted bids for the project.
Commissioned by the government, the study has a maximum budget of 1.2 billion euros (£999 million) and will run for 18 months.
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has reportedly received proposals from both national and international firms specialising in railway infrastructure, with seven bids submitted through temporary joint ventures (UTEs), with national companies based in Malaga, Madrid, Valencia, Vizcaya and Pontevedra.
Currently, the C1 commuter line connects Malaga to Fuengirola, providing access to key locations including Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, Torremolinos, and Benalmadena. However, it does not extend to high-demand areas like Marbella and Estepona, which could provide a major boost for tourism.
The expensive study will assess the potential extension of the railway corridor between Nerja, 31 miles east of Malaga, and Algeciras, near the Strait of Gibraltar, focusing on five key segments, according to The Olive Press.
The 32-mile Nerja-Malaga section is anticipated to generate nearly 27,000 daily trips, amounting to 18% of the zone’s travel demand. The Malaga-Fuengirola section, meanwhile, is expected to generate 70,000 daily trips (25.5 million annually).
The Fuengirola-Marbella and Marbella-Estepona sections, with a combined length of 32 miles, currently have no rail infrastructure but have the potential to serve and impressive 55,615 trips per day, or 20.3 million annually. This represents 16% of the area’s daily mobility.
Finally, the 31-mile Estepona-Algeciras section is projected to attract nearly 13,400 daily trips.
The study will also include a demand analysis based on a specific model, as well as financial and socio-economic profitability assessments to determine the viability of the project.
This initiative aligns with the European Commission’s Sustainable, Safe, and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030, which aims to reduce reliance on private vehicles, improve regional connectivity and achieve a green transformation to become more resilient to future crises.
In 1975, the Cercanías Málaga commuter rail line opened, linking Málaga to Fuengirola. After its opening, an extension to Marbella was proposed. Planned since the 1990s, projects to build the line had never materialised, despite the extension has been described as “urgent”.
In January 2018, a new study estimated the project’s cost to be between €2 and €3.8 billion (£3.1 billion). Andalucia announced in 2023 that it is seeking €2 billion (£1.6 billion) of European funds from the Next Generation EU fund to help its construction.