MALAGA’s tourism sector is facing a major setback as the high-speed rail link to Madrid will remain closed through Semana Santa.
The direct high-speed connection between Malaga and Madrid will not resume until the end of April due to infrastructure damage.
Repairs were scheduled to be finished by March 23, but have been pushed back.
Interruption began on February 4 after a landslide in Alora damaged a 300-meter retaining structure, designed to protect the railway from soil or debris falling onto the tracks.
Renfe provides bus transfers between Malaga and Antequera, but this extends the travel time from under three hours to almost five hours.
The disruption coincides with Malaga’s Semana Santa festivities, which attract tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Juanmna Moreno, President of the Junta, said that this will be ‘a disaster for thousands of businesses and families’ in Malaga if the line is not repaired in time for Semana Santa.
According to the Junta, the railway crisis in Malaga has already cost the province over €300 million, with losses expected to rise further during Semana Santa, a critical period for the city’s tourism.
Moreno urged the government and railway authorities ‘to do everything possible to repair it and have it ready in time’.
The Costa del Sol Association of Hotel Owners (AEHCOS), meanwhile, says that this could be catastropic for the city’s tourism industry.
Hotel reservations, they explain, have fallen sharply, with the Costa del Sol coast seeing an 18 per cent drop, inland areas experiencing a 25 per cent decline, and Malaga city facing a more than 30 per cent decrease.
The lack of a high-speed train service is also affecting pre-season hiring, especially for seasonal and temporary workers.
AEHCOS urges constant communication between authorities and the tourism sector to minimise the economic and employment impact of the rail disruption.
Authorities plan to resume limited service on a single track with speed restrictions by the end of April.
Complete infrastructure repairs and a full service are not expected until the end of 2026, prolonging the disruption to travel and tourism in Malaga.
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