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It is becoming increasingly difficlut find yourself a seat on the busy Cercanías commuter trains that run from Malaga city along the C-1 Costa del Sol linetowards Fuengirola. It is as a result of a sneaky trick that is becoming more common on the service.
With the Spanish government's subsidised Cercanías season ticket, which is still in force, it is no longer necessary to leave the train when it arrives at the last station. Previously, you had to leave the carriage and, if you wanted to travel again, you had to go through the turnstiles again before boarding the train.
The current situation, in which it is not compulsory for regular users (who travel for free with the government's subsidised travel card) to leave the train at the last station, has given rise to a mischievous behaviour that train operator Renfe is calling "uncivil".
More passengers on the Costa del Sol's C1 line, which has huge demand constantly and particularly during peak times, are boarding the train at María Zambrano station, which is bound for Malaga Centro-Alameda.
Once they've travelled for just the one stop to Centro-Alameda, they do not leave the carriage but remain seated as the flood of new passengers board. In this way, they guarantee themselves a seat on the return journey towards Fuengirola. SUR has been able to verify this during the afternoon rush hour (from 2-3pm).
Francisco Moya, who uses this service every day to commute to work from Torremolinos to the centre of Malaga, said this has been increasing in recent weeks, coinciding with the return to classes at universities and schools.
"Many people get on at María Zambrano in the direction of the Centro, which is a short, one-stop journey, and they stay seated or at least they look for another seat inside the carriage and are the first to take it," Moya said, speaking about his daily experience as he gets on at Alameda every day. Then comes the confusion of the people on the platform, which is narrow. "So when those of us who come from the centre get on, up to 50% of the seats are already taken," Moya added.
This behaviour is a concern to vulnerable train users such as the elderly, pregnant women and families with young children. "The worst part of all this is that there is usually no respect for these people, and those who are seated do not usually give up their seats to those who need them most, despite the fact that some of them are even marked as having priority use," Moya said.
Moya called on Renfe's security staff to clear the trains once they arrive at the Centro-Alameda stop, so that access to the carriages is on equal terms and seats can be for those who need them most.
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