Walter Finch
THE contract for the proposed Costa del Sol train feasibility study is set to be handed to a joint venture firm after it received the highest score among fifteen competing bids.
Consultancy firms WSP Spain and Apia were awarded 97.54 points during the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility procurement committee meeting on Monday.
The joint venture’s bid of €819,761.25 represents a saving of almost €400,000 compared to the government’s initial budget of €1.2 million for the project.
Once officially awarded, the report will take approximately around 18 months to complete before giving its verdict on whether the project is viable.
WSP Spain is a multinational engineering and professional services company, while Apia is a consultancy firm based in Cantabria with previous connections to WSP in other joint bids.
The feasibility study will analyse solutions to improve train mobility and connectivity between municipalities in the area.
This includes strengthening the current C1 line that runs between Malaga and Fuengirola, and examining potential expansion westward to Algeciras – with a potential stop in La Linea – and eastward to Nerja.
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The study will be divided into five sections: one toward the Eastern Costa del Sol (between Malaga and Nerja) and four toward the Western Costa del Sol (Malaga-Fuengirola, Fuengirola-Marbella, Marbella-Estepona, and Estepona-Algeciras).
It will include a demand study based on a model specifically designed for this project, as well as financial and socioeconomic profitability analyses.
The work will be conducted in accordance with Article 5.3 of the Railway Sector Law and will include an analysis of alternatives, demand studies, and cost-benefit analysis.
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This feasibility study is a mandatory requirement under railway sector law, as previous studies lack Environmental Impact Declarations and are no longer valid.
The study will utilise all previously available documentation and big data already in the ministry’s possession.
The central government has indicated that the infrastructure would need to be supported by complementary measures from the Andalucian regional government, such as park-and-ride facilities or bus lines to stations, to ensure ease of access for users.
The study will determine which of the four sections are viable, as well as possible branch lines.
La Línea has requested a branch of this corridor to grant better access to and from the Costa del Sol.
