The first stage of a Costa del Sol trainline joining Málaga and Marbella has been deemed viable by the Spanish government, with 2026 set be a decisive year for the the long-awaited project.
Spain could soon see a long-awaited rail expansion create a coastal connection to Marbella after government representatives gave encouraging signals when discussing the project.
Extending the track to the famous coastal destination in Andalusia would remove the project from the long list of aborted projects over the last 162 years.
This follows news that the Spanish government considers the coastal railway section between Fuengirola and Marbella to be “feasible” and that 2026 could be a decisive year for the project.
READ ALSO: 162 years and counting – Will Spain’s Málaga-Marbella train ever happen?
This was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the Deputy Delegate in Málaga, Javier Salas, during a breakfast briefing where he set out the priorities and commitments of Pedro Sánchez’s Government for the province in the coming year.
Salas confirmed that the feasibility study commissioned last year by the Ministry of Transport, which will lay the technical foundations for the future railway corridor connecting Marbella, will be released after the summer.
He added that, based on the data becoming available, there is “some feasibility” in one of the “priority” sections, notably a connection between Fuengirola and Marbella.
“According to the data we have, the section with the greatest traffic flow is the stretch between Fuengirola and Marbella,” Salas said, adding that a final decision can be made when the final feasibility study is released.
“There are certain routes that would be a priority to start with,” he added, noting that the extension to Marbella was the “most requested”.
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A coastal connection in the Costa del Sol has been long in the making.
It’s not as if there haven’t been any attempts over the years. In fact, the long-awaited train link between Málaga and Marbella has been talked of for an incredible 162 years. There have been at least seven serious plans put together, that all ultimately fell through and never materialised.
The most recent was as late as late-2023, when a new underground railway line connecting the AVE line in Málaga with Marbella was proposed via the airport, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Mijas. Plans by the council focused on underground lines as the Costa del Sol has become so overpopulated and built up that there’s not much room to put it anywhere else.
This is particularly frustrating for travellers as it means getting to Málaga airport from Marbella must be done by car, taxi, bus or an airport shuttle bus.
