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Nº 53 Spring 2008

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Nº 53 Spring 2008

Report: Ave, Málaga!

Ave, Málaga!

Just like the Ancient Roman greeting, Malaga welcomed the high-speed AVE train with full honours. The clock stood at 12.41 p.m., on 23 December 2007. A time and a date now enshrined in the city's recent history After six years and five months of construction work, and an investment of close to 2.5 billion euros, the AVE finally arrived at the capital of the Costa del Sol. A costly project which heralds a new era for transport connections to the Spanish capital, which is now only a two-and-a-half-hour trip away.

Text: Mdp.
Photos: Renfe y Alvaro Cabrera.

One year after the province was first linked up to the high-speed line (with the launch of the Madrid- Cordoba-Antequera AVE service), the 54.5- kilometre stretch of track leading to Malaga itself was completed right on deadline. This final section without a doubt proved one of the most complex of Spain's high-speed train network, with the challenging contours of the terrain requiring eight tunnels and 35 viaducts to be constructed. A complicated engineering task which was subject to a number of unforeseen setbacks. Nonetheless, since 23 February last year, 22 trains have been plying the 513 km which divides the Costa del Sol and the capital of Spain, at speeds of 300 km/h. Towns and cities such as Antequera, Puente Genil, Cordoba, Puertollano and Ciudad Real are the milestones along this rapid rail corridor. The Malaga-Madrid AVE route has started up with 11 trains in each direction from Monday to Thursday, and a total of 26 running on Fridays (13 each way), 18 on Saturdays (nine and nine), and 20 on Sundays (ten and ten). Passengers can also choose from five different fare bands, with prices ranging from 60 to 239 euros for a return trip, depending on how far in advance the ticket is purchased, the class of the carriage and the time of travel. The arrival of the AVE in Malaga marks an improvement not only in the quality of its rail connections to Cordoba and Madrid, but also in their quantity, thanks to a considerable increase in the capacity available: each week Spanish rail operator RENFE sells 51,000 tickets on the AVE, a figure which represents more than twice that previously available on the Talgo intercity trains. The AVE heralds a new era in transport for the south of the peninsula. A landmark event in opening up new tourist markets and consolidating new lines of business. Malaga is now on the fast track to the future.

Since 23 February last year, 22 trains have been plying the 513 km which divides the Costa del Sol and the capital of Spain