Spain’s incredible new £2.84billion train line – between seaside resorts loved by Brits | World | News

A new Spanish train service linking two seaside resorts that are beloved by British holidaymakers has just been given a major boost. The Costa del Sol network is a major infrastructure project that’s been under discussion in Spain for decades. Ultimately, the plan is for a line stretching some 200km along the southern coast, linking the port city of Algeciras in Cadiz and Nerja, a coastal town in Malaga.

The line would be built in phases, starting in the middle with a route between Fuengirola and Marbella, the only city with a population over 150,000 that doesn’t have a railway station. Sections from Malaga to Nerja on one end (via the existing Fuengirola to Malaga route) and Marbella to Algeciras on the other would be completed at a later date.

A feasibility study, assessing various benefits and impacts including costs, and the potential for integration into existing lines, was commissioned by the Spanish Ministry of Transport last year, and is ongoing.

But while the project is yet to be greenlit, Javier Salas, a government official in Malaga, sparked optimism about prospects for the Fuengirola-Marbella section, saying building it is «feasible» and a «priority» for the state, The Olive Press reported.

Mr Salas said the first phase «should be the most urgent, the most necessary». «And the route that has always been talked about as the most urgent is Fuengirola-Marbella”, he added.

A major driver behind this urgency is likely the impact that the absence of rail links has had on road traffic on the A7 motorway that links the two tourism hotspots.

Officials are looking at route options, including a possible alignment running alongside the A-7 motorway, though Mr Salas stressed that no final decision will be made until the study is complete.

Salas estimated that the findings of the study will be published this summer. The document will inform the Government’s decision-making.

And while none of the routes have been confirmed, the total cost of the potential Málaga to Marbella section of the line is estimated to be between €2.5 billion and €2.8 billion (around £2.1bn to £2.4bn).

It’s thought the entire line between Nerja and Algeciras could reach €6.7 billion (£5.8billion).