Dilip Kuner
THE EU is being asked for a whopping €2 billion to extend the Costa del Sol’s coastal railway as far as Algeciras in Cadiz.
Calls have been made for decades to enlarge the line which at present runs from Malaga to Fuengirola, leaving major towns including Marbella and Estepona completely.
And for decades – despite several feasibility studies and schemes being drawn up – the plans have been kicked down the line as no one was willing to stump up the cash.
The Spanish Government has asked the autonomous communities for a series of proposals that fit in with the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the EU, and so qualifying for Next Generation funds.
The Junta has replied with 241 different initiatives that could be carried out in Andalucia with the costa railway extension standing out as the Junta makes a grab for a total €43.2 billion of cash from the EU fund.
The Junta is now not simply proposing extending the line to Algeciras – where it would link with the route to Sevilla – but is also raising the possibility of adapting it for use by high speed trains.
At the moment plans to expand the high speed network with a link between Almeria and Algeciras as part of the European ‘Mediterranean Corridor’ express line run inland.
It is now up to the central government to decide which schemes to back with the EU funding.
READ MORE:
- Costa del Sol railway from Malaga to Estepona named as a priority in massive infrastructure investment plan for Spain
- Marbella and Estepona DEMAND action on railway connecting Costa del Sol as Junta vice president says there is ‘no…
- Spain’s Malaga-Madrid AVE begins pooch-friendly service
2 Billion versus 43 Billion Euros from the EU taxpayer’s pocket. Isn’t that quite a difference?
Therefore again I assume that Junta de Andalucia is kidding as always when it comes to a train connection between Fuengirola and Algeciras. Obviously this project cannot compete with the 2 million Euros that the city of Estepona has demanded from the EU Next Generation Fund to build a Rock Climbing Park for Estepona’s next generation. To me, Spain acts like a child which is allowed to present a wish-list for Christmas, knowing that only 10 out of 241 wishes will have a chance to be delivered.