Minister Indicates Train Tunnel Probable From Fuengirola To Marbella

In a astonishing astir turn, Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente is said to person fixed his blessing to plans to widen nan commuter train statement to Marbella via tunnel, nan country’s only metropolis pinch complete 100,000 residents without entree to a obstruction service.

Less than 18 months ago, Puente dismissed nan idea arsenic unfeasible owed to nan ridiculously precocious costs, analyzable terrain, and deficiency of competitiveness. Now, nan Minister favours a passageway nether nan A-7 motorway, making it a awesome win for Costa del Sol infrastructure and commuter rail description successful Andalucia.

The alteration of sentiment is simply a telling acceptance of Marbella’s long-overdue relationship to nan nationalist network. The existing Cercanías statement ends successful Fuengirola, wherever a 50-year-old passageway could service arsenic nan starting point. Complicated rocky terrain and municipality sprawl on nan Costa del Sol person historically blocked advancement connected what was ever considered a tube dream. But now it seems, ministry sources corroborate a preferred “cut and cover” method, akin to that of Malaga’s Metro, truthful to minimise disruption.

How nan Marbella obstruction hold would beryllium built

Construction would proceed successful phased segments of 15-20 kilometres, excavating broadside walls, pouring concrete, and installing a tile slab earlier tunnelling inside. Only 1 A-7 lane would adjacent astatine a time, ensuring minimal postulation effect connected this engaged Costa del Sol artery. The approach, championed by existent Renfe president Álvaro Fernández Heredia during his clip arsenic ministry deputy, promises nan champion option.

Engineer Ángel García Vidal, representing Malaga’s College of Civil Engineers, estimates each conception astatine €40-60 million. Expropriations could return 6-12 months successful an accelerated scenario, pinch afloat useful spanning astatine slightest 4 years, aliases perchance longer to debar wholly paralysing nan coastline.

Massive rider request drives Costa del Sol train project

Demand projections are massive: up to 60 cardinal yearly passengers crossed 4 segments. Breakdowns see Nerja-Malaga (9.77 million/year), Malaga-Fuengirola (25.57 million), Fuengirola-Estepona (20.30 million), and Estepona-Algeciras (4.89 million). The overloaded Malaga-Fuengirola C-1 statement already hauled 17 cardinal passengers past year, operating astatine 116 per cent capacity successful summer, making it Spain’s astir businesslike per seat, according to data.

To cope, the ministry plans way duplication, extending 5 stations to 100 metres for longer trains and boosting frequency. Extending Cercanías to Marbella emerges arsenic a overmuch simpler action than broadening nan A-7, greatly improving location mobility and sustainability.

The Marbella train hold could toggle shape Andalusia’s carrier landscape, easing congestion, cutting emissions, and unlocking tourism and business potential. With viability studies already underway, followed by informational ones, tenders whitethorn beryllium launched soon. After decades of isolation, Marbella’s obstruction dreams are tunnelling toward reality, poised to link Spain’s astir glamorous spot to nan remainder of nan world.