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With the new additions to the fleet, during peak times the trains will run every five minutes in order to absorb the higher number of passengers in the cityIgnacio Lillo
Malaga
Friday, 22 September 2023, 16:06
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The arrival of the Malaga metro into the city centre has led to an explosion of passenger numbers, which are doubling month by month. To meet this huge demand there is to be a sizable increase in that capacity, which is currently inadequate at peak times.
However, from Monday 25 September, four more trains will be added to the fleet of 14 trains (making 18) to improve the frequency of service. This will mean that at peak times of the day there will be a train running every five minutes.
"The incorporation of the new trains will mean a leap in quality in a transport service that has been growing steadily since its long-awaited arrival in the city centre", said the regional Minister of Public Works, Rocío Díaz, who pointed out that since the Andalusian government inaugurated the extension to Atarazanas at the end of March, the number of passengers on the Malaga Metro has doubled.
With the planned expansion the Malaga metro will offer a five-minute service between 7.45 am and 9.45 am and 1pm and 3pm on weekdays compared to the current six-minute interval. This improvement will also be reflected in off-peak hours. In addition, it will help to bolster the service on days with special events in the city, thanks to the CBTC railway signalling system, which allows a minimum distance between trains under optimum railway safety conditions.
The manufacture and supply of the four new trains, ordered from CAF in 2021, involved an investment of 15.4 million euros by the concessionaire. The units were received between November 2022 and April 2023, when the fourth and last unit arrived. From then on, dynamic tests were carried out in the workshops and depots and on the tracks. Subsequently, from May until the first days of September, the Malaga metro carried out tests with trains on the commercial route; the drivers were trained on the new Urbos 100 model, and the administrative documentation was completed to obtain authorisation from the Public Works Agency to put it into service.
The Urbos 100 units manufactured by CAF, which was the company in charge of the initial fleet, represent an improvement with respect to the current Urbos 3 units. These new trains have the same capacity, for 200 passengers, but with new features and technical improvements. The new rolling stock, designed specifically for the Malaga metro, consists of articulated, bi-directional units with two driver's cabs. These trains have been designed with low-floors to allow easy access for people with reduced mobility, the elderly and prams.
Claiming that the drivers will finish their training with paying passengers on board, the CCOO union has called a rally for next October 10, between 10am and 12pm. The event will take place at the Atarazanas station and will be repeated every ten days. The regional Ministry of Development and the concessionaire have flatly rejected the claim.
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