Malaga-Madrid transport: high-speed train suspension causes flight prices to soar

The transport system in Malaga province has gone back almost 20 years, to before 23 December 2007 when the first Renfe high-speed train arrived at the María Zambrano station.

Following the suspension of high-speed rail services in Andalucía due to the Adamuz disaster, passengers have had to look for other options, including airway transport at higher cost.

The high-speed train service has made it possible for many people to travel often between Malaga and Madrid for work or study. Besides the human toll and the psychological damage, the accident on 18 January has disrupted traffic for many regular passengers, who have quickly been taken back in time.

To gauge the impact of the accident and the consequent closure of the track, the annual report on the railway sector shows that railway services were the preferred travel option in 2024, exceeding planes. With the arrival of new private operators, such as Iryo and Ouigo, the number of train passengers has only grown.

In 2024, more than three million passengers (3,168,278) made the journey by rail, compared to almost 700,000 (697,788) who chose to fly. Therefore, the market share of the rail network compared to air travel was 82%.

To understand the full impact of the high-speed line suspension, we'd have to wait until its reopening, scheduled for next weekend (7-8 February).

In the absence of competitive fast trains, air travel has skyrocketed in price. A search carried out on Monday, 26 January for travel on Friday, 30 January, shows Malaga-Madrid return fares from 400 to 600 euros - a trip that takes under an hour. In some cases, the ticket price soars to 1,000 euros. For that price, one can book a trip to Latin America these days, which, in the case of Malaga, does include getting to Madrid first.

Although Iberia and Air Europa have increased operations on the route between Malaga and Madrid, the truth is that demand exceeds capacity, which is why ticket prices have reached unprecedented levels. Iberia has capped fares at 99 euros each way, which has only motivated passengers to buy quickly, leaving others with one option - Air Europa, which has not set a maximum price.

Air Europa's prices automatically match algorithms that increase prices when they detect strong demand. The airline added 10,800 seats this week, which it will maintain until 2 February. It also increased frequencies to 30, which means 60 more flights in this period.

Iberia added an extra flight between Malaga and Madrid after the Adamuz tragedy.

Other means of transport now have much longer journey times, although prices remain more or less stable.

The state railway operator (Renfe) established an alternative service, which will run until the high-speed line is reopened. This substitute option uses a bus link to bypass the damaged area in the tracks. Renfe has set a ticket price of 40 euros each way, but the journey is significantly longer (five hours), which makes it almost impossible to get there and back in the same day. In addition, there are only three daily frequencies in each direction.

The bus service has regulated fares and the trip to and from Madrid costs about 19 euros each way. The problem: the fastest route takes six hours and ten minutes. Similar to the train situation, people who travel to Madrid for work and then come back on the same day cannot do it at the moment.

Some operators have added special and charter services to meet growing demand.

Car rental prices have slightly risen. According to the segment organisation, demand has increased only two per cent, compared to January 2025. Only the big names in the sector, which comprise 30 per cent of all car hire companies, allow renting a car in Malaga and leaving it in Madrid. The price is around 140 euros per day for this option.

According to President of the Andalusian business association of car rental services Ana María García, the sector has a fleet of between 10,000 and 15,000 cars in the province. For this reason, she believes, "there are enough vehicles, especially now that the sector is in the low season". García says that there has also been an increase in demand for nine-seater vans, usually hired by a group of friends or colleagues who choose to share the trip and save up.

She states that prices "are more or less the same as ten or 15 days ago", although renting a car in Madrid is more expensive if the company is not based there as the service has to add the cost of collecting the vehicle. "What we are noticing is a sharp increase in enquiries about prices and travel alternatives," García says.

Taxi prices have not gone up as they are regulated. The trip to Madrid costs around 600 euros. It can be shared between four people and takes just over five hours. President of the association of taxi drivers (Aumat) Miguel Ángel Martín confirms that demand for taxis covering the distance has increased these days.

"The taxi sector has not once taken advantage of the tragedy to raise prices. Fares are regulated by public administrations, so there is no possibility of arbitrary or speculative rises," he says.

Uber launched a special offer following the Adamuz accident and the suspension of the high-speed line. "In light of the temporary interruption of the railway connection, we have launched a special emergency service for journeys between Madrid and Malaga (and vice versa), with the aim of offering an alternative to those who need to travel," the company statement reads.

The service has a fixed fare of 200 euros per journey, which can be shared between four passengers. In principle, it will be available until 2 February, the date initially planned for the reopening of the rail service.

It is important to note that the state rail infrastructure company (Adif) has already announced that the reopening will be delayed until at least 7 February.

Car sharing prices (in Spain offered by the Blablacar app) are more or less stable, ranging from 25 to 43 euros.

In conclusion, the mode of transport where prices have truly increased by a lot is the plane.

Consumer organisation Facua has collected testimonies from passengers affected by the disruption of train services following the accident. "What users are telling us is that prices have shot up due to the increase in demand for alternative means of transport," President of Facua Málaga Lola García says.

"This also happened after the 'dana' disaster in Valencia, after which the Ministry of Consumer Affairs modified regulations so that price rises like this could not occur," she states. García blames it on automatic online algorithms, which detect high demand and adjust prices upwards.

The problem is that to activate the ministry's measure, a civil protection has to declare an emergency, which has not happened this time. "Facua has asked the government to broaden the regulations" so that this step would not be necessary. "The rules need to be wider in scope to prevent price increases in situations like these, where there is an extreme need on the part of consumers that is exploited by operators for profit," García states.