Malaga commuter line to Álora to undergo works and suspend trains from Monday

Adif (Spain's rail infrastructure company) has confirmed the suspension of the C2 commuter line between Malaga and Álora for three weeks, starting next Monday (18 May).

The reason is the launching of the major contract for the renewal of tracks and equipment on the conventional gauge line between Malaga and Antequera, as it passes through the Guadalhorce Valley.

The rail line, which serves approximately 80,000 passengers each month, should reopen on 5 June.

This will also affect the conventional medium distance service (not the one that runs on the high-speed line, which is the Avant) between Malaga and Seville, during the same period.

State rail operator Renfe and Adif have established an alternative transport plan with buses. "Passengers are already being informed through the usual channels," Renfe stated.

When visiting the Renfe website to purchase a Media Distancia ticket, users will see a notice stating that the journey between María Zambrano and Antequera Santa Ana (and intermediate stations) will be by road.

However, the route between Las Mellizas and Álora will still use local trains or Cercanías Málaga commuter rail services. Due to these circumstances, bicycles and animals are not allowed on board during this period.

The C2 commuter rail line, which serves the Guadalhorce Valley, is experiencing increasing demand as the municipalities it passes through, such as Cártama, Pizarra and Álora, grow in population and become part of the wider Malaga metropolitan area.

In 2024 (the latest available data), trains reached a record high with almost one million passengers (975,500, to be precise). This represents a 45 per cent increase over the previous year (670,800 passengers).

To match this increase in demand, the obsolete infrastructure requires renovations in several sections. The main objective of the work is to modernise the track switches at both stations.

Adif awarded the contract for the replacement of railway turnouts and complete track renewal at the Pizarra and Aljaima stations exactly one year ago, in June 2025, for 7.3 million euros.

This project will involve replacing the existing turnouts (type A) with higher-performance turnouts (type P1 and C1), which will increase reliability and improve throughput at both stations. The project also includes track renewal and a series of modifications to the overhead contact line and safety systems.

Turnouts are fundamental elements of railway infrastructure, as they allow a track to branch into two and are necessary for the correct routing of trains. There will also be improvements to the safety installations.

EU NextGeneration funds sponsor the project.