The decision to exclude the coastal train between Malaga and Algeciras from the European basic railway network, made by the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in October 2011, has plunged this infrastructure into a continuous phase of study and neglect. This exclusion, carried out in the final months of his term, cut off the possibility of European funding for the line as part of the priority network.
This was the first time the project was removed from transport plans. The coastal route, which would connect Malaga, Marbella, Estepona, and Algeciras, was replaced by a transversal Andalusian axis proposed by the socialist government, which would connect Almeria with Granada and Antequera, then bifurcating towards Seville and Algeciras. The approved alternative prioritized the high-speed connection of Malaga with Antequera, although this has experienced interruptions.
At that time, the European Union set deadlines for the basic network (2030) and the global network (2050). The Andalusian Mediterranean train, which seemed on track for realization, was left out of these funds. Months before the final decision, the then Minister of Public Works, José Blanco, had announced the creation of a mixed company with capital from the regional government, the central government, and private initiative for its construction.
After the change of government, Minister Ana Pastor attempted to rectify the decision, proposing a route from Almería to Algeciras along the coast with an investment of 11.3 billion euros. However, in 2013, the EU approved the original proposal from Zapatero's government, excluding the coastal train from funding.
Subsequently, the government of Mariano Rajoy continued with the idea, and in January 2018, Minister Íñigo de la Serna presented the first phase of the informative study for the Malaga-Marbella-Estepona line. However, the subsequent motion of no confidence and the arrival of Pedro Sánchez to power, with José Luis Ábalos as Minister of Transport, returned the project to oblivion.
Social pressure has been key to bringing the project out of its slumber in 2024. Minister Óscar Puente and Secretary of State José Antonio Santano changed their stance, after initially stating that no document existed regarding the project and that it was not a priority. This contrasted with the existence of previous mandates dating back to 1862, and left the Mediterranean coast with a congested road network.
As a result of the pressure, the 'Working Group for Mobility in Malaga' was created. The agreement reached on November 28 was to conduct a feasibility study, yet another in the long list for this infrastructure. The initial deadlines for completing this study before 2025 have already passed, with 18 months of execution elapsed. Following this study, a new route will be proposed, adding to those previously presented by Minister De la Serna in 2018 and by the Junta de Andalucía in 2009. Sectional informative studies are planned until 2029, followed by the drafting of construction projects for 2031. Works would not begin until seven years after the first study commissioned by Óscar Puente.
If Zapatero's government had not sidelined the Andalusian coastal line, the complete route from Almería to Algeciras could have been finished by 2030 as part of Europe's basic transport network.
