New operator is on track to roll-out new high-speed trains between Malaga and Madrid with prices from 9 euros

The countdown has begun for Malaga to make another leap towards getting more high-speed rail links with Madrid. It will do so with Ouigo, the second privately-run operator to be operating on this line and the third to offer train journeys between the two cities (after Renfe and Iryo).

The French operator has already begun the last phase of tests prior to the start of ticket sales, according to a company spokesperson. In the next few days the new Alstom Euroduplex convoys of carriages will be on the tracks (especially in the Los Prados area) and at María Zambrano station in Malaga city centre. They will take turns to do runs in the mornings and afternoons, with two departures in each direction. This is to ensure Ouigo staff are fully familiarised with the route and this activity will continue throughout most of the summer. "These are routine tests, required before the start of commercial operations" said a company spokesperson.

For the time being, the test runs have been set at times that are not yet set in stone for when commercial operations will begin. In fact, the company insists that neither the timetables nor the definitive date for the start of passenger services have yet been made public, but that it will certainly be this autumn (October or November being the most likely months).

"They are eye-catching trains and generate a lot of expectations; we know that there is expectation among the public because they see that there will be a reduction in ticket prices, our objective is to attract a customer profile [families, students] that until now could not afford the train", explained Ouigo.

So confident is Ouigo that, before even starting to offer seats, the operator's spokesperson stressed that, although the framework agreement signed with track infrastructure company Adif includes three daily return trips to Seville and only two to Malaga, "we know that it is a market with potential and we do not rule out requesting an increase in capacity" to the capital of the Costa del Sol.

Ouigo will put into service its fleet of double-decker Alstom Euroduplex trains, with one of the largest number of seats (509) in the market. When doubled up, passenger capacity reaches more than 1,000 in a single train. This high capacity is the key to its aggressive pricing policy, which starts at 9 euros each way. On the lines where it already operates (Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante, among others) tickets achieve an average 50% discount compared to Renfe fares. In addition, children up to 14 years of age travel at a fixed price of seven euros (when accompanied by an adult), and babies travel free of charge. Despite being a low-cost service, the trains have a staffed buffet.

Malaga and Seville will be the last places, within the plan of railway liberalisation in Spain, to have access to train services from this operator. This is due to the fact that the fast-track line from Madrid to Seville was the first to be inaugurated in Spain, so it still only has the signalling and safety system that was in place at the time, the LZB (the more modern ERTMS standard is in the process of being deployed).

In contrast, Ouigo's trains were only adapted to the European ERTMS standard. For this reason the company, together with Alstom and Adif, has been forced to do "reverse engineering" in order to gain formal approval of its trains to run on both lines, which has meant an investment of 40 million euros and five years of work. "It has taken a lot of effort to get here, but we can already see the light at the end of the tunnel, the arrival in Malaga will be imminent."