THE Malaga metro system has smashed its all-time Semana Santa passenger record, despite being hit by a wave of industrial action.
The underground system closed Holy Week with almost 720,000 passengers between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, marking its busiest Easter period in history.
Figures from the Regional Ministry of Development show demand increased by 0.2% compared to 2025.
What makes the result stand out even more is that services were partially disrupted.
Strikes took place on Holy Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, as workers pushed for a new collective bargaining agreement.
These stoppages reduced train frequency during peak hours, specifically when crowds were heading into the city centre for the processions.
Holy Monday felt the greatest impact, as residents swarmed the metro to reach the Cautivo procession.
Thousands encountered long queues, delays, and overcrowded trains.
Despite this, demand remained strong throughout the week.
Regional government sources insisted ‘the public response stayed steady.’
Across the ten-day period, the metro carried an average of 71,900 passengers per day.
Holy Monday was once again the busiest, with 103,518 travelers. Holy Thursday followed with 95,234.
Easter Sunday saw one of the biggest increases. Passenger numbers rose by 22.6% to 32,268 travelers.
To cope with demand, the metro ran its usual 68-hour non-stop service between Wednesday and Friday, alongside extended operating hours into the early morning on several days.
READ MORE: Air Canada launches new direct flights to popular Spanish holiday island
Central stations such as Atarazanas station and Guadalmedina station handled a large share of the passenger flow due to their proximity to the official procession routes.
Operator Metro de Malaga also stepped up staffing levels, as well as security and surveillance. During night services, all trains had security personnel on board to manage the large influx of passengers.
While overcrowding led to some tense moments, authorities reported no major incidents.
However, the dispute behind the strike action remains unresolved. Last week, the works council praised the strike action, highlighting strong unity among workers as they continue to push for improved conditions.
Without the disruption, this year’s operating results would likely have been even higher.
Click here to read more Malaga News from The Olive Press.
