El Government of Pedro Sánchez and the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, They have turned their backs on Andalusia in railway matters. More than 30 train connections are either paralyzed or on dead ends., according to the Andalusian Government and various professional groups. The situation condemns the region to a clear competitive disadvantage compared to other regions and hinders Andalusia's logistical and economic development.
The Andalusian government of the PP has demanded the central Executive "accelerate the pace of construction of railway corridors through Andalusia", essential for the success of the Logistics Network promoted by the Government of Juanma Moreno. During the day Railway corridors, connectivity and territorial progress, Díaz warned that Without the development of the committed railway corridors, Andalusia loses competitiveness, economic opportunities and sustainability..
Andalusia, the most marginalized region on the Spanish railway map
The neglect is evident in the latest report from the Ministry of Transport. Against the state's commitment to the Rodalies of Catalonia, the southern railway infrastructure has more than thirty unexecuted projectsAndalusia remains outside the main corridors of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), while other regions receive multi-million-dollar investments.
The report highlights that The eastern Andalusian area is the most affected, with numerous stretches without deadlines or budgets. Currently, it's not possible to travel from Almería to Seville in less than six hours, an example of the rail gap the region is experiencing.
Twelve of the fourteen Spanish cities with more than 50.000 inhabitants that do not have a train connection are in Andalusia., according to the newspaper ABC. Marbella tops the list: It is the only urban center with more than 150.000 inhabitants without a railway connection in all of Spain..
The most affected train lines: Almería, Cádiz, Huelva and Seville
Among the train operations that continue on the siding are:
- The Almería-Granada line, with sections still in the study and drafting phase.
- The Granada-Bobadilla connection, without execution date.
- The Almería-Murcia section, which was due to be operational in 2026 and is now delayed until 2027.
- The Algeciras-Zaragoza railway highway, which has been delayed for years.
- The Costa del Sol train, between Malaga, Marbella and Estepona, without significant progress.
To this is added the rail connection to the Port of Motril, completely forgotten by the central government, despite its strategic importance for the transport of goods.
In Huelva, The railway line connecting the capital with Seville has been cut again due to rain., as has occurred in previous meteorological episodes. This situation highlights the urgent need to modernize the region's railway infrastructure, which remains vulnerable to inclement weather.
Commuter and Rodalies: the comparative grievance in train investments
The Sánchez Government has allocated More than 6.300 billion euros to the Rodalies of Catalonia until 2030While Investments in commuter trains for Andalusia are scarce and progress extremely slowly.Almería, Cádiz, Málaga and Seville require urgent improvements to its commuter train services, which are not attended to by the State.
In the case of Malaga, The commuter line that connects the capital with Fuengirola does not reach Marbella or Estepona., areas that concentrate a large part of the tourism and population of the Costa del Sol. In Cádiz, The rail connection with La Janda and Campo de Gibraltar is still pending.While The service between Huelva and Seville is one of the most obsolete on the national network..
Jaén, the only partial exception
Only Jaén has made some progress, although insufficient. The arrival of high-speed rail to Jaén remains unclear., despite the promises of the Ministry of Transport. Meanwhile, Other regions such as Catalonia or the Valencian Community have first-class railway infrastructure and much more ambitious long-term planning..
Andalusia leads the ranking of cities without trains
According to published data, Andalusia is the region most affected by the lack of train connections in Spain.Of the 14 medium-sized cities (more than 50.000 inhabitants) that lack a train, 12 are in Andalusia. These include Estepona, Mijas, Rincón de la Victoria, and Vélez-Málaga, as well as Marbella.
In these localities, citizens They are forced to look for trains in neighboring provinces or to use road transport exclusively., which increases costs, congestion and polluting emissions.
The Government of Andalusia demands urgent solutions
Given this scenario, the Government of Juanma Moreno has reiterated “maximum collaboration” to accelerate railway operations, but it demands an urgent and concrete response from Pedro Sánchez's Executive. Rocío Díaz insisted that "Andalusia cannot be left behind while other regions enjoy modern and efficient trains.".
"Spain has a lot at stake in the development of the Mediterranean and Atlantic rail corridors, and we cannot afford any more delays.", concluded the counselor. She also recalled that The low share of rail in freight transport (barely 0,5% in Andalusia) contrasts with the European average of 20%., which reduces the competitiveness and sustainability of the region's productive fabric.
