Since February 4, heavy rains caused a retaining wall to collapse onto the tracks near Álora, forcing users to rely on an alternative plan that significantly increased travel times. The public company has confirmed the reopening date, just in time for the May long weekend, a holiday period expected to see high demand for travel between the two Andalusian cities.

During this period, only Renfe maintained service with reduced frequencies, using buses to cover the section between Málaga and Antequera. Other operators like Iryo and Ouigo withdrew their tickets from sale, awaiting the full restoration of the line to resume their operations. With the reopening, travel times will return to normal.

The public company described the intervention as being of “great complexity and magnitude” due to the considerable volume of the landslide, estimated at 200,000 cubic meters. Works focused on an embankment 540 meters long and 35 meters high, where a pile wall 325 meters long and 15.5 meters high was built to ensure ground stability. Additionally, it was necessary to secure a high-voltage tower supplying power to the catenaries, which also delayed the work.

Traffic recovery will initially be on a single track, with the expectation of fully restoring service with both tracks by July. This single-track situation had already been in place in recent months due to a closure in one of the Abdalajís tunnels, though without causing significant delays.

The service interruption has generated an intense political debate. On one side, representatives of the central government and the PSOE, and on the other, administrations governed by the Popular Party, including the Junta de Andalucía, the Diputación, and several local councils. The peak of the controversy was reached before Holy Week, when an economic impact of 1.3 billion euros due to the lack of AVE was estimated, a figure that became a point of contention between the parties.