Chaos As Crumbling Commuter Train Line Forces Passengers To Abandon Train

A breakdown successful nan infrastructure of nan Cercanías C-1 commuter train statement betwixt Torremolinos and Benalmadena, forced dozens of passengers to wantonness nan carriages astatine nan Benalmadena extremity connected Thursday, August 21, causing recreation mayhem. 

The affected commuters took to societal media to sound their frustration, arsenic each had to either proceed their journeys connected ft aliases by taxi aliases bus.

Cercanías Malaga issued a connection via a broadcast group, acknowledging nan issue: “Line C-1. We pass you that owed to a breakdown successful nan infrastructure, delays are occurring connected nan C-1 line. We apologise for nan inconvenience.” However, passengers reported receiving nary contiguous solutions, pinch galore arriving precocious to work.

Commuter train chaos crossed Costa del Sol

The incident has reignited rage astir accessibility astatine respective stations on nan line. Passengers person complained that escalators are retired of work astatine aggregate stations and person been for immoderate time, including María Zambrano, Polígono de Guadalhorce, and nan airdrome station. The lifts successful Arroyo de Miel are continuously retired of order. One aged Euro Weekly News scholar ended up falling connected nan stairs successful 2024 and breaking his leg.

Another reader, Martin Shaw from Torremolinos, says, “I’ve travelled each complete Spain by train, and it’s not nan aforesaid successful nan North arsenic it is successful nan South. It’s almost arsenic if they are letting nan Andalucia carrier strategy autumn to rack and ruin.”

Local authorities up successful arms astir cardinal government’s cognition to crumbling carrier network

The disruption comes amid increasing disapproval of nan cardinal government’s handling of Malaga’s obstruction infrastructure. Last July was nan 50th day of nan Cercanías web of commuter trains successful Malaga Province. Mayors from nan Costa del Sol and different provincial authorities met successful Fuengirola to denounce what they called nan “abandonment” of nan region. They denounced nan predominant breakdowns, delays, and cancellations owed to insufficient attraction and investment. The blimpish PP statement successful Malaga presented a manifesto insisting nan authorities expedite studies and projects to widen nan obstruction statement to Marbella, Estepona, and Algeciras, pinch plans to yet scope Nerja successful nan east.

The manifesto besides demands contiguous improvements to nan C-1 line, including extended operating hours to amended service airdrome travellers, way duplication, position description s, and larger tunnels to summation train wave and capacity. “It’s unacceptable that during highest hours and precocious season, trains walk done stations afloat without picking up much passengers,” nan archive stated.