Cercanias Malaga

[cphilb]

There have recently been some motions from some of the local authorities along the Malaga-Furengirola C1 line to increase the frequency of the C1 service. I frquently use the service but I am not quite sure how this would work. Certain sections are not double some of which at least would need to be doubled but my major question is about the terminal station - Malaga Centro Amameda. This appears to be a single platform terminal station. When it was built, was it built with passive provision for a second platform. (in the original planning there was talk of the train going furtherv east)? This station is usually pretty crowded and I am at a loss how it could handle more capacity in its current form both for passengers and trains. In its current location, it would be difficult to expand.
Does anyone have any knowledge about this?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The plan now seems to be to extend the light-rail Metro to the east (rather than heavy-rail) and potentially link up with the defunct Velez tramway. It has also become apparent that the long awaited extension west to Marbella and beyond, will need a new line from Malaga to Fuengirola instead of trying to upgrade the existing line.

 

[cphilb]

The plan now seems to be to extend the light-rail Metro to the east (rather than heavy-rail) and potentially link up with the defunct Velez tramway. It has also become apparent that the long awaited extension west to Marbella and beyond, will need a new line from Malaga to Fuengirola instead of trying to upgrade the existing line.

Thanks Sir Felix - I have also heard there are very, very early provisional plans for a new/extended metro line to the north - to Ciudad de Jardin too. But whether this would be an extension from the future extension of line 2 or a brand new line, I don't know. They are also trying to restart the Velez Malaga tram but there's a mix up currently over the finances so I'm not holding my breath. The main point from my original post is, that assuming there is no change to the extent of Cercanias line C1 (and C2 for that matter), how would they fit the desired extra trains into the current Malaga Centro Alameda station without major construction works? I just wondered whether behind the mirrors on platform 1, is there perhaps an extra platform - or at least passive provision for a second platform. What is behind the mirrors always fascinates me.

 

[Cloud Strife]

The main point from my original post is, that assuming there is no change to the extent of Cercanias line C1 (and C2 for that matter), how would they fit the desired extra trains into the current Malaga Centro Alameda station without major construction works?

It doesn't seem possible, not without double tracking the line to Malaga Centro Alameda. I don't think the station was built with any passive provision for a second platform, although I believe the original plan was for the entire line to be double tracked, so there might be something there. But thinking outside the box here, maybe the line to the Port of Malaga could be used to provide additional capacity? I don't know in what condition that line is in, but it's always struck me that it would be a very logical extension of the C-1.

It has also become apparent that the long awaited extension west to Marbella and beyond, will need a new line from Malaga to Fuengirola instead of trying to upgrade the existing line.

This is such a never-ending story! I don't think there's any easy answer, because building a new line to serve Torremolinos and Fuengirola as well as Marbella is going to be very expensive. Probably the most sensible option now is to simply build a new line that will follow the AP-7, but even building a station in Marbella in a good location is going to be enormously expensive.

 

[cphilb]

It doesn't seem possible, not without double tracking the line to Malaga Centro Alameda. I don't think the station was built with any passive provision for a second platform, although I believe the original plan was for the entire line to be double tracked, so there might be something there. But thinking outside the box here, maybe the line to the Port of Malaga could be used to provide additional capacity? I don't know in what condition that line is in, but it's always struck me that it would be a very logical extension of the C-1.



This is such a never-ending story! I don't think there's any easy answer, because building a new line to serve Torremolinos and Fuengirola as well as Marbella is going to be very expensive. Probably the most sensible option now is to simply build a new line that will follow the AP-7, but even building a station in Marbella in a good location is going to be enormously expensive.

Thanks for your reply. I suspect you are right about Malaga Centro - Alameda station. Like in the UK, cost cutting seems to really damage any future proofing of many projects in Spain. The line to the Port has been disused for quite some time now and the street level track that runs down to the port is very overgrown currently.
However there are plans, again as yet unfunded, to put the port rail in a tunnel and restart it. This may be given some impetus by a large logistics company deciding to run a new freight shuttle service between the port and a marshalling yard at Los Prados. The news article didn't make it clear whether this service would be on the road or on rails, but it did say it would be electrically operated which possibly suggests a rail connection. If this reactivation and upgrade of the port line actually does go ahead, maybe a solution would be to abandon the current Malaga Centro - Alameda station and use part of the port line to reach a new larger double tracked station nearer to Plaza de la Marina. Malaga Centro- Alameda is ridiculously close to the brand new Atarazanas and Guadelmedina stations of the Metro. Any connection between the Metro and Cercanias systems could still be effected at Maria Zambrano/El Perchel.

 

[HS2isgood]

Centro-Alameda will be closed and replaced by a station by Marine Square (Plaza de la Marina). It'll have 4 commuter tracks and a subway station, replacing Atarazanas metro station too. Several projects have been made for C-1 extensions east or west, but the costs are really high. The metro will get line 2 extended soon to the Civil Hospital, northeast of Guadalmedina. There's also projects like line 2 to the CTA or line 1 to the eastern neighborhood of El Palo via Marine Square.

 

[cphilb]

Centro-Alameda will be closed and replaced by a station by Marine Square (Plaza de la Marina). It'll have 4 commuter tracks and a subway station, replacing Atarazanas metro station too. Several projects have been made for C-1 extensions east or west, but the costs are really high. The metro will get line 2 extended soon to the Civil Hospital, northeast of Guadalmedina. There's also projects like line 2 to the CTA or line 1 to the eastern neighborhood of El Palo via Marine Square.

Thanks for your response. I like the idea of 4 tracking a new cercanías station at Plaza de Marina. I can't see it happening in my lifetime though. There's little support from central government although Andalucía and the city of Málaga have the same colour of government now and seem to be pulling in the same direction instead of fighting each other. There are also plans to either créate a branch of the C2 or extend Metro line 1 to the fast growing technology park which is predicted to soon have 50,000 workers there. This has a realistic chance of happening soon. Preparatory work is already starting on the Metro line 2 extensión to the new Hospital Civil. There are traffic diversions currently taking place outside my flat in Calle Hilera to enable the cut and cover works to start. Why they are only taking this to the Hospital Civil and not a little further to the estadio Rosaleda is beyond me - especially as the stadium is earmarked for some games if Spain and partners win the 2030 World cup......but this is Spain!

 

[Cloud Strife]

I suspect you are right about Malaga Centro - Alameda station. Like in the UK, cost cutting seems to really damage any future proofing of many projects in Spain. The line to the Port has been disused for quite some time now and the street level track that runs down to the port is very overgrown currently.

Yes, it was really shortsighted, especially when you consider how profitable the Malaga-Fuengirola line is. I suppose the major issue was the infrastructure needed, especially the viaduct in Fuengirola and the cost of providing double track tunnels. Still, I don't understand why they didn't take the chance to extend the double track tunnel into Malaga Centro - Alameda when it was closed for refurbishment, as it only needed around 500m of tunnel and a larger station space.

Thank you for the information about the Port line. I've only ever caught glimpses of it when in Malaga, so I didn't know about the general state of repair of the line.

I like the idea of 4 tracking a new cercanías station at Plaza de Marina. I can't see it happening in my lifetime though.

Malaga seems to be pressing ahead with the new bus station plan there, so perhaps it's not entirely impossible that they'd build a new terminal station there. But it all goes back to the problems of the line itself, in that double tracking it isn't going to happen without a huge amount of protest and problems. Perhaps one solution could be to consider building the new terminal station at Plaza de Marina, then expanding the station in Torremolinos to include two terminal platforms along with double tracking the route between the airport and Torremolinos? This wouldn't be too difficult to achieve, as there's plenty of space for a second track along that section.

Several projects have been made for C-1 extensions east or west, but the costs are really high.

The cost of building the C-1 west would be astronomical, although it would really help if places like La Cala de Mijas and Calahonda had stations. The A-7 is really struggling to cope with the amount of traffic now, especially the Fuengirola bypass.

 

[Austriantrain]

Do the plans to extend the Málaga - Fuengirola plan include accelerated trains as well or would it still be only Cercanías? If the former, obviously the line would need to be doubled, if the latter, not so much (depending on planned frequency of course).

 

[Cloud Strife]

Do the plans to extend the Málaga - Fuengirola plan include accelerated trains as well or would it still be only Cercanías? If the former, obviously the line would need to be doubled, if the latter, not so much (depending on planned frequency of course).

There's two proposals, one is just a simple extension westwards to Marbella serving the coastal resorts with Cercanias, the other is to build a new line directly to Marbella from Malaga. Neither proposal is great, but the problem with a Cercanias extension is that the line is already overcrowded. There's no way you could fit all the traffic from La Cala de Mijas and Calahonda into the existing C-1 infrastructure, let alone the traffic from Marbella and even beyond.

I think that if any Cercanias extension was double tracked from the beginning, then with double tracking Torremolinos-Malaga, it might be enough. There's enough space in Fuengirola to build a second viaduct if needs be, although I suspect Fuengirola would be happy to get rid of the existing viaduct.

 

[Austriantrain]

There's two proposals, one is just a simple extension westwards to Marbella serving the coastal resorts with Cercanias, the other is to build a new line directly to Marbella from Malaga. Neither proposal is great, but the problem with a Cercanias extension is that the line is already overcrowded. There's no way you could fit all the traffic from La Cala de Mijas and Calahonda into the existing C-1 infrastructure, let alone the traffic from Marbella and even beyond.

I think that if any Cercanias extension was double tracked from the beginning, then with double tracking Torremolinos-Malaga, it might be enough. There's enough space in Fuengirola to build a second viaduct if needs be, although I suspect Fuengirola would be happy to get rid of the existing viaduct.

Thank you. What kind of frequency would the cercanías need (in the peak)?

 

[Cloud Strife]

Every 10 minutes in the peak would be desirable, I'd say. There's enough demand for it, especially as it's well used between the coastal towns as well as to/from Malaga.

A question for those on the ground: have they removed the ticket offices from Fuengirola and Torremolinos?

 

[Austriantrain]

Every 10 minutes in the peak would be desirable, I'd say. There's enough demand for it, especially as it's well used between the coastal towns as well as to/from Malaga.

While I know of instances where a 15-minute-frequency on single-track infrastructure works well, 10 minutes would be stretching it. Thank you!