A train connecting the Costa del Sol is one step closer to reality with the new Spanish government’s backing. The railway, if built, would connect Nerja with Algeciras on the Portuguese border, a 120-mile stretch along Spain’s popular southern coast.
Spanish government has awarded a £1million feasibility study so the Ministry of Transport can analyse the train’s economic and social value and assess which type of vehicle would be most suitable. The study needs to be completed within 18 months. The majority of experts expect that in the best-case scenario, if finances and administration go to plan, the project could be completed within 11 years, but it is more likely to be 16 years.
However, party sources from PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) were cautious. “When we start, we don’t know what we are going to find,” they told Spanish news organisation, EuropaSur.
A report previously pulled together by the Transport Ministry’s office found the railway would serve around 60 million passengers per year, although the stretch from Malaga city to Estepona could add up to 46 million passenger journeys.
Finances and political backing remain key concerns for the planned railway, as the cost of the project has continued to rise with the expanding plans.
The last project presented by the City Council of Malaga, financed by Unicaja and prepared by ARCS, was budgeted at but it only reached Marbella.
During the period of Íñigo Gómez de la Serna (PP) as Minister of Public Works, the figure was 4,000 million if it continued to Estepona.
The National Association of Construction Companies, Seopan, raised the figure for its entire route to 6.699 billion euros (£5.65 billion).
Currently, tourists visiting the Costa del Sol in Spain have to rent cars to travel along the coast.
The current C1 line is the heart of the transport system on the Costa del Sol, connecting Malaga city with Malaga Airport, and with medium-sized towns located on the western Costa del Sol: Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola.