Malaga suspends C2 commuter rail service to Álora for two weeks from Friday

The C2 Guadalhorce line between Malaga and Álora and the regional train to Seville will remain closed for just over two weeks: from Thursday, 21 May, until 9 June.

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.

Although Adif (Spain's rail infrastructure company) initially reported that the temporary interruption would begin this Monday and last for three weeks, it has rescheduled the work to minimise the impact on passengers.

During the suspension period, Renfe (state rail operator) will operate a total of 384 bus services to ensure that passengers have an alternative means of transport between Antequera Santa Ana and Malaga.

The first disruptions will take place on Thursday. They will impact the two trains departing from Seville at 6.34pm and 8.12pm.

The last two trains these works will impact are the 7.02am and the 9.16am services from Malaga to Seville on 9 June.

In the case of the C2 commuter rail line (Guadalhorce), passengers will be able to travel by train to Cártama and from there by road to Álora. This will be the case from 22 May until the first services on the morning of 9 June.

The alternative transport plan also includes taxis for journeys to Bobadilla and El Chorro-Caminito del Rey, with special routes depending on the origin and destination.

These measures will affect approximately 80,000 passengers who use commuter trains between Madrid and the Guadalhorce Valley each month, as well as users of conventional regional trains (not the high-speed Avant line) between María Zambrano, Santa Justa and intermediate stops.

Renfe reminds passengers that it is necessary to purchase or confirm their ticket before travelling. Free changes and refunds will be available.

Renfe sends all important information to passengers through official communication channels: at the point of sale, the Cercanías app, WhatsApp, station signage and public address announcements, www.renfe.com, and @Inforenfe on social media.

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.