The £2.1billion coastal train that could connect two popular Spanish holiday destinations
BRITS heading to Andalusia could soon travel between Malaga and Marbella via train.
Even though it’s been 20 years since a train route between Malaga and Marbella was first discussed, plans for the service seem more robust than ever.
According to Sur English, a local group of engineers, railway experts and passengers have unveiled plans to expand the Spanish rail network.
The group has put forward plans to connect Malaga and Marbella via the Guadalhorce valley.
A train service currently operates between Malaga and Fuengirola, with journeys taking just over 30 minutes.
Instead of extending the Fuengirola route along the coast, the rail experts want to move the new service inland, serving towns like Alhaurín de la Torre, Coín and Alhaurín el Grande.
Coastal towns like Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Las Lagunas, Mijas and Las Chapas could also benefit from the new route.
The train would then terminate in San Pedro – a Spanish seaside town that’s located just south of Marbella.
It’s thought that journey times between Malaga Airport and Marbella could take as little as 22 minutes.
Journey times between the two cities would increase to 55 minutes on stopping services.
The plans will be presented to the Spanish Transport Minister for consideration.
The project is expected to cost €2.5billion (£2.1billion), and it would take eight years to build.
Until the new train service welcomes passengers, holidaymakers will need to use buses and ride share schemes to travel between Malaga and Marbella.
Elsewhere in the country, a new sleeper service could soon link Barcelona and Zurich.
Barcelona will also be connected to other European cities like Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Florence, Hamburg, and Milan thanks to the new train service.
There are, as of yet, no concrete details about how long it will take to make the full journey, other than the fact it will run overnight.
The route is slated to launch in December 2024, but other details, such as ticket prices, have yet to be released.
Currently, Spain has no overnight train services connecting it to other countries.
Meanwhile, Barcelona has wiped one public transport route from Google Maps in a clamp down on overtourism in the city.
Here are two train routes hoping to launch in the UK.
London to Basel
Swiss National Railways (SBB) has proposed new routes between London St Pancras and Basel.
The five-hour trip would use the Channel Tunnel and Eurostar trains.
The direct route would make it much easier to visit, which currently requires three trains from the UK.
London to Paris
While Eurostar currently operates between the UK and France, a new start-up wants to offer similar routes.
Evolyn has revealed plans to connect London St Pancras and Paris Nord by 2025.
If it goes ahead, it would be the first competitor to Eurostar since it first started 30 years ago.
Three scenic train journeys you can take in the UK
Cornish Coast – One trip that rail enthusiasts seem to love is along a stretch of the Cornish coast and takes just 10 minutes to complete.
The route from St Erth to St Ives only stops at Carbis Bay en route to its final destination, but the views out the window for the whole journey are pretty spectacular.
Another highlight of the journey is that St Ives station is situated right next to Porthminster beach, meaning the sand and sea can be accessed almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the station is less than a ten minute walk into town, where the harbour, shops, galleries and pubs can be explored.
Durham to Edinburgh – Another train route that people in the UK love is the East Coast train line between Durham and Edinburgh, with coastal views and city landscapes among the sights that can be seen out the window.
Newcastle, Berwick, Lindisfarne and Durham Cathedral are all among the highlights on that route.
Scotland’s West Highland Line – While Scotland is home to plenty of famous landmarks and top attractions, it also has one of the most breathtaking train routes in the world.
Scotland’s West Highland Line has previously been dubbed the best rail journey in the world by Wanderlust – and it’s easy to see why.
The journey from Glasgow to Fort William is one of my favourite train routes – and I’ve interrailed through mainland Europe.
With mountain landscapes, serene lochs, wistful moors, and wildlife all visible through the train window, it’s certainly a route all holidaymakers should consider doing at least once.
You can ride a London tube train with sea views on this British island.
And these are some of the most beautiful railway journeys in the UK.
