The government has set the meeting for July 17 in the capitalTourism industry committed to possible solutions to mobility problemsGovernment sets meeting date for Malaga coastal train
The central government’s announcement to convene the Coastal Train Summit has revived a project that has been called for years by political, social and economic players on the Costa del Sol. The town councils of Manilva and Estepona, currently excluded from the proposed route, as well as the hotel industry, are also asking to participate in order to express the needs of the tourist industry and provide possible solutions.
Thus, the mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, felt that the city “must be present at this institutional meeting”, to be held in the capital of Malaga on July 17 and attended by the Junta, the Diputación de Málaga and the municipalities of Malaga and Marbella, since the rail infrastructure is initially planned between these two municipalities.
The councillor recalled that “Estepona is one of the three municipalities that has grown most in Spain in terms of population”, with over 77,000 inhabitants, and insisted that “it cannot continue to be cut off from the rail network”.
The mayor hopes that at this meeting “the central government will make a serious commitment to the mobility of the Costa del Sol”, stressing that “the growth experienced by the region must be accompanied by modern, competitive facilities, such as a rail axis which forms the backbone of this area which receives millions of tourists every year”.
The mayor of Manilva, José Manuel Fernández, agrees, stressing that in the train summit “all town halls must participate and mayors must be represented at this table”, regretting that the Manilva Consistory had received “no official invitation”.
This is why he demanded “to be present at any table where a subject as important as mobility on the Costa del Sol is discussed”, alluding to “solidarity” and to the fact that “the Costa del Sol is what it is as a whole”, which is why he stressed that “the mayors are there to defend our interests”.
Mr. Fernández stated that “the train must arrive in Algeciras and, initially, meet the needs of the Costa del Sol and reach the end of the province of Malaga”, where Manilva is located.
He added that another mobility solution should be sought if the coastal train project were to be blocked again, such as the “liberalization of the AP-7 Mediterranean freeway”.
Private sector Javier Hernández, President of the Costa del Sol Hoteliers’ Association (Aehcos), described the convening of the train summit as “positive”, showing that “interest is starting to show”.
The hotelier stressed that “the important thing is to define a roadmap for the future to solve the province’s mobility problems”.
The business representative pointed out that the analysis should cover “the mobility situation in the whole province of Malaga”, both in the eastern and western zones and in the hinterland, believing that “future solutions should be studied or proposed”, as well as “issues such as the use of the freeway, the expressway, the national 340 road or access to Malaga airport”.
Mr. Hernández called for a “detailed, in-depth and forward-looking study” to be carried out, envisaging “the province’s situation in 2040 or 2050”, so that “technicians can propose infrastructures capable of anticipating future situations of greater mobility stress”, taking into account “the increase in population and visitors” in order to plan a “long-term” solution.
The businessman expressed the willingness of the hotel and tourism sector to participate in this summit with a view to the future, as tourism is one of the “most affected” segments, which he pointed out generates “employability levels of over 24%”.
The aim is to “provide data” to “study the consequences of the current situation in terms of mobility and its impact on the resident or working population”, as well as “possible solutions”.
In his opinion, the development of rail infrastructure would have an economic impact on the destination and “position Malaga as one of the most competitive in the Mediterranean”, since it already has “accessibility” thanks to the airport and high-speed lines.
On this point, she added that “mobility on roads and public transport needs to be improved”.
Montserrat Pijoan, President of the Marbella Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (APYMEN), welcomed the convening of the summit to discuss the coastal train project, stressing that this rail infrastructure “is essential for mobility and the Costa del Sol”.
The business representative declared that “it’s essential to get back to this project”, stressing that “the government must provide a solution to mobility, which is very bad”, and that “either it subsidizes the freeway so that it doesn’t cost 8 euros in summer to go to Malaga, or it sets up the train”.
Ms. Pijoan welcomed the fact that a new step had been taken with the convening of the summit, and pleaded “that they study it and do it right, that they don’t do anything stupid”, while stressing that “the rest of the cities also need” rail infrastructure, which is why she was “in favor” of the train joining Algeciras.
In her opinion, the coastal train would boost economic activity in the region, as “many companies or offices take the AVE every day to Madrid or Seville to do business, and they wouldn’t waste so much time”.
At the same time, it would facilitate worker mobility on the Costa del Sol and “staff recruitment”, as many employees live in other nearby towns such as Estepona or Manilva due to the “high cost of rent”, and it would be used “like the Cercanías in Madrid”.
