Central government slammed for supplying Costa del Sol with 'slowest' short-distance train service in Spain

Deputy secretary for studies and programmes of the Partido Popular political party in Malaga María Rosa Morales has denounced the "continuous delays and breakdowns" that the provincial short-distance Cercanías train service is suffering. She accuses the PSOE-led central government of ignoring the need for investments in the province. Her complaints are backed up by the metropolitan mobility observatory report, which states that Malaga province's Cercanías is "the slowest in Spain".

According to the report, Malaga province's local Cercanías trains run at an average speed of 42.3km/h, "far below" other local networks in Spain, such as Madrid (50km/h), Valencia (57.6km/h) or Barcelona (47.9km/h).

"An abysmal difference if we compare it with rail networks with a lower number of passengers, as is the case of the Basque Country's C1, which, with an average of 7.2 million passengers per year, reaches an average speed of 50km/h," Morales said.

"The two suburban lines of Malaga have more than 17 million passengers annually - it is one of the most profitable lines in Spain, but we keep suffering train delays due to the inaction of the Spanish government." Morales also denounced the lack of regular trains during rush hours - the average time between two trains is half an hour or 20 minutes in the case of the Malaga-Fuengirola line.

"In Madrid, Cercanías trains run every eight minutes, in Barcelona every 12 minutes and in Biscay every 17 minutes," Morales said, adding that the Ministry of Transport, led by Óscar Puente, continues ignoring Malaga province.

According to Morales, the number of passengers using the Cercanías line in Malaga province keeps growing at the same time as the number of breakdowns, cancellations and delays. She criticises the central government for offering "zero investment to improve this fundamental service for the tourist and economic sector". Morales echoed the words of other politicians in Malaga province, who have previously highlighted "the inequality" with other regions such as Catalonia, where "the central government prioritises investments worth millions".

Morales said that the PP in Malaga is going to raise the issue to the national debate "once again" and demand an explanation from PM Pedro Sánchez. She added that Malaga residents will keep defending their right to "a modern and efficient" train network.