Malaga province regains double track high-speed rail service to Madrid one year later

Transport

State rail operator Renfe has added eight more trains and increased the number of seats by more than 3,000

Chus Heredia

Malaga has reopened the double high-speed rail track to Madrid after a full year.

For three months of that time, the line was completely closed following the tragic Adamuz accident on 18 January and the subsequent landslide in Álora.

Previously, in July 2025, one of the Abdalajís tunnels had to be closed due to rising groundwater levels.

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  • The double track doesn't necessarily mean travel times will change much, but it does offer certainty and options in case of breakdowns or incidents. Thanks to the restoration of the infrastructure's high performance, Renfe has decided to reinforce its services, coinciding with one of the peak weekends of the summer.

    The state-owned company will activate eight more trains per week starting this Friday, 17 July. This will increase the weekly train service from 166 to 174, representing a 5.8 per cent improvement in capacity. In other words, the number of seats will increase from 57,836 to 61,176.

    "The new services especially improve supply on the days of highest demand, Fridays and Sundays, with two more frequencies each day. This increase in service will coincide with the restoration of double track traffic in the Álora area, after the work to repair the serious damage the heavy rains caused in February," Renfe says in the statement.

    The new frequencies

    The new services are: Fridays, Madrid 9.20pm to Malaga 12.10am; Mondays to Fridays and Sundays, Malaga 5.52pm to Madrid 8.41pm; and Sundays, Malaga 8pm to Madrid 10.58pm.

    All journey times are under three hours, representing a slight improvement over the current situation. However, the route has had up to 30 speed-restricted sections.

    Renfe will also implement a slight timetable adjustment for the AVE and Avlo Malaga-Madrid services starting 17 July.

    "The work to restore double-track operation through Álora has been remarkably difficult due to the terrain and the accumulated rainfall in the area up to mid-April. With the track now fully installed, work is being finalised on the electrification and safety systems, as well as the drainage in the retaining wall," the company stated.

    Chronology of incidents

    The first incident happened in July 2025.

    The reconstruction of the twin tunnels in Abdalajís punctured a large aquifer. Since then, Adif has been supplying the municipality of Valle de Abdalajís with water tanker trucks, even though it is now legally exempt from doing so.

    The infrastructure, inaugurated in 2007, is known for the enormous geological and hydrogeological complexity of the Sierra de Abdalajís mountain range. In July 2025, the tunnel suffered severe landslides and flooding due to significant water seepage caused by pressure from underground aquifers.

    This forced the reduction of operations to a single track while emergency repairs were carried out. Following a complex technological repair, Adif completed the waterproofing work in March 2026.

    The Adamuz tragedy

    The Adamuz accident kept the line closed from 18 January to 17 February. Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo resumed commercial service after the infrastructure reconstruction work was completed, but by then, the serious landslide at Álora had already occurred.

    The landslide in Álora

    Working in the area was extremely difficult due to the challenging access of heavy machinery to the soil. There was damage to the overhead power lines, a high-voltage tower, the track and the platform.

    Furthermore, Adif was slow to implement a triple-shift work schedule, which sparked political outrage and complaints from businesses, particularly those in the tourism sector.

    During that time, to avoid complete rail suspension, bus transfers took passengers from Malaga to Antequera-Santa Ana. Alternative services were planned for Semana Santa. The Italian company Iryio had to implement a temporary layoff plan (ERTE) for its staff.

    Strike on Wednesday

    Spain's Renfe union has just announced a strike on Wednesday, which will force the cancellation of more than 300 passenger trains across Spain. The Ministry of Transport has already decreed the essential minimum services.

    Renfe guarantees 73% of the usual AVE service on Wednesday; 66% of the medium-distance service; 75% of commuter trains during peak hours and 50% the rest of the day.

    In the previous strike (29 June), only 1.83% of the workforce participated.

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