RENFE is set to roll out seven new high-capacity trains on the Malaga to Fuengirola commuter line in a massive €66.7 million investment.
The state rail operator plans to introduce the Alstom s452 fleet on the busy C-1 coastal route from 2028.
Each of the six-carriage, 100-metre-long trains will consist of four single decker and two double carriages, offering 245 seats and a total capacity of up to 900 passengers.
Renfe stated that the move is the best alternative to increase capacity on a line that thousands of people rely on but which struggles with overcrowding and delays.
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The 32km route combines double and single track sections, making it impossible to run trains more frequently than every 15 minutes.
Double track only exists on non-continuous stretches between Malaga Maria Zambrano and the airport, Campamento to Los Alamos and La Colina, El Pinillo to Benalmadena, and Torremuelle to Carvajal.
Passenger numbers on the Malaga commuter network surged to over 15.5 million in 2025.
The C-1 line absorbs the bulk of this demand, with peak times seeing passenger numbers hit 150% of seated capacity.
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To handle this volume, the network currently operates 132 daily train circulations on weekdays and 114 on weekends across its two lines and 23 stations.
The existing coastal fleet consists of eight Civia series 464 trains with an average age of 18.9 years.
This much-needed overall replacement comes after €13.1 million was previously spent on maintenance and revisions for the current ageing fleet.
The rail investment also includes a new €40 million maintenance workshop in Malaga, with construction set to begin next year.
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Accessibility upgrades worth €6.81 million are also planned for El Pinillo, Los Alamos and La Colina stations.
These specific architectural improvements will see the installation of new panoramic lifts, homogenised heights, and new paving to improve passenger flow.
At El Pinillo, the project also includes a platform extension up to 100 metres, alongside an overhaul of the parking and underpass.
Los Alamos will benefit from new perimeter railings, renovated canopies, and a revamped urban pass.
Works at La Colina will equally remodel the access points, parking area, canopies and underpass.
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