Authorities and business leaders agree on plans for Motril to Granada railway

Transport

The Andalusian regional government is looking into options for a connection that would connect the Costra Tropical town with Granada city following a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce

MJ Arrebola

Granada

After more than a hundred years Granada province's Costa Tropical looks set to have a railway connection with the city and this could be happening soon. The Chamber of Commerce, Motril town hall and representatives from the Andalusian regional government met on Sunday to discuss the future of the Costa Tropical's railway network.

The Andalusian regional government is considering including the extension of the coastal train to Motril in the revision of the Andalusian Spatial Planning Plan (POTA) and also the historical Granada-Motril axis, which is still the only Spanish province without a single kilometre of railway line.

The coastal train has been in the pipeline for more than two decades without materialising. Back in 2004 there was talk of a connection, a commitment that was never fulfilled and which is now coming to the fore again after the revision of the POTA, after the project was left out of the initial plans.

As a result the possibility of the Granada coastline being linked to the planned Andalusian coastal train between Cadiz and Malaga was discussed at the meeting and it was decided that it would be included in the revision.

The mayor of Motril, Luisa García Chamorro, pointed out that "Motril is in constant expansion and it is very important that we meet here, in the Chamber of Commerce, because in the end it is the business leaders who drive part of the growth of the town".

Ends in Nerja

The Junta is currently revising this strategic document, which outlines the infrastructures that the region needs for its development. In this revision, a coastal train is already planned that would link Cadiz with Malaga provinces, running from Algeciras to Nerja along the Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar. The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has already awarded the drafting of an initial study of alternatives for this corridor, but the problem is that the route ends in Nerja.

The Motril Chamber of Commerce, through the Andalusian Council of Chambers, submitted a letter a month ago requesting that the extension to the Costa Tropical be reflected in the review. According to the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Julio Rodríguez, this is an important feature and he made it clear that these plans are the ones that open or close doors when it comes to attracting European resources. The Junta de Andalucía pointed out that the possibility of incorporating this extension to Motril is under study. "The institution is in the process of evaluating the allegations presented," explained Rodríguez.

140 years of waiting

Apart from the coastal train, the great historical frustration of the Costa Tropical is that of the train which should link Motril with the city of Granada. The project was first mentioned in 1886, 140 years ago, but has never materialised.

The revision of the POTA is "an opportunity that cannot be missed". "I am hopeful, I believe that this issue has a chance to move forward," said Julio Rodríguez after the meeting, in a tone that reflects the mixture of hope and caution that presides over this historic demand.