Cercanías Málaga
Cercanías Málaga is a suburban railway network in the Spanish city of Málaga and on the Costa del Sol and is operated by the Spanish railway company Renfe . The Spanish Cercanías networks are comparable to the S-Bahn networks.
The network currently consists of two lines:
- C1 : Málaga - Fuengirola
- C2 : Málaga - Álora
There is a S-Bahn tunnel in the city of Málaga, which is currently being renovated and double-tracked. It was previously only used by line C1. After the renovation work, it will be used by both lines and is being prepared for possible network extensions and extensions. It leads from María Zambrano main station to one more station in the direction of the city center and ends at the temporary terminus Centro-Alameda .
Line C1 runs along the Costa del Sol and leads via the cities of Torremolinos and Benalmádena to Fuengirola . The line is double-tracked in parts to enable high frequencies. The railway line is used exclusively by S-Bahn trains and is of great importance for connections between the tourist cities on the Costa del Sol.
Line C2 runs from Málaga to Álora and uses the currently only broad-gauge railway line that leads to Málaga. Since the line is only single-tracked and other types of train operate on the line, only 90-minute intervals are possible there. Before the opening of the high-speed line Córdoba - Málaga, other long-distance trains ran on this route, so that line C2 could only run there every two to three hours. However, the Cercanías Málaga has a punctuality rate of 98%.
Electric railcars of the 446 series are used as vehicles.
history
Towards the end of the 19th century, several narrow-gauge railways were built in the area around the city of Málaga for the purpose of suburban traffic by various private operators:
- Málaga - Coín
- Málaga - Fuengirola
- Málaga - Ventas de Zafarraya
After these lines had been run down over the years, they were taken over by the state narrow-gauge railway company FEVE and the line from Ventas de Zafarraya to Vélez-Málaga was shortened. Due to a lack of profitability, these routes were closed until 1965. Only the line to Fuengirola was completely renovated, converted to broad gauge and taken over by the state railway RENFE. Some sections of the route were relocated, resulting in five new underground stations. This created the first S-Bahn line. A second line was later built on the existing state railway line to Córdoba. As part of the connection of the city to the Spanish high-speed network and the construction of a new central station, the S-Bahn tunnel was extended to the west, with an additional underground stop being opened in 2009. That the discontinuation of the other suburban lines turned out to be a wrong political decision can be seen from the fact that these lines are to be rebuilt as part of the long-term planning of the metro network.
Extensions
The Málaga Metro is currently under construction in Málaga , which could also be more relevant in the future in suburban traffic. Even after the first construction phase, it should improve the transport links to the western parts of the city and the airport in addition to the suburban railway.
The Andalusian government has decided on a project to build a new coastal railway along the Costa del Sol between Almería and Algeciras . As part of its implementation, line C1 is to be extended to Estepona . As things currently stand, the Spanish government is only willing to contribute to the costs for the western section, as the route will lead via Marbella , which is currently the only major Spanish city without a train connection. On the eastern section it was initially planned to run a line between Málaga and Nerja . A realization as a light rail was also under discussion. However, given the current financial budgetary position, it can be assumed that this project will not be implemented.
There are more specific plans for a connection to the Parque Technológico de Andalucía in the suburb of Campanillas , although it is still unclear whether a new branch line will be built here or the route of the existing line to Córdoba will be moved. A new branch line from the airport to Alhaurín de la Torre is also planned, which will also open up new construction areas in the vicinity of the airport.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fomento estudia llevar el tren de Cercanías al PTA. Retrieved April 28, 2013 .
- ↑ Partidos y administraciones se suben al proyecto del Cercanías a Alhaurín. Retrieved April 28, 2013 .
