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ARCHIVED - Murcia train line to Lorca and Aguilas to stop in October
The rail service will be interrupted from October 1 as work on a new AVE line begins
The controversial work to develop a new high-speed rail service in the Region has been given the final go-ahead as it has been announced that the trains connecting Murcia with Lorca and Águilas will grind to a halt on October 1. The huge undertaking is set to take around three years to complete, and has sparked a wave of protests as commuters face journeys of up to an hour longer on buses provided by Renfe.
The president of Adif explained that while the contract for the works was awarded based on the premise that they would be compatible with rail traffic, as was done with the AVE works in Alicante, the disruption is inevitable in order to get the job done as quickly as possible, as planning rail line detours would significantly lengthen the works. In addition, Sra Domínguez added that in certain sections, such as the Barriomar underground, the proximity of houses doesn’t leave any space for trains to pass while the tunnel is being built.
Consequently, the Cercanias line from Alcantarilla will cease operations in October to allow work to begin on the AVE between Murcia and Almeria, a route which currently has 16 daily services, three of which travel as far as Águilas. In addition, the route between Murcia and Chinchilla will be subject to changes come February, while Adif will look for alternative stops for trains travelling to Madrid. Freight traffic will continue as normal as the Nonduermas loading station.
The Minister of Development and Infrastructure, José Ramón Díez de Revenga, has strenuously argued against the rail stoppages and has appealed to Adif to explore alternative arrangements, insisting that cutting the train line between the Region and Madrid will make Murcia a “railway island” and severely hinder the economic recovery of the area.
Others however, are looking to the future, and feel that the sacrifices made now will be worthwhile, given the opportunities for tourism development once the high speed line opens up opportunities, connecting the Murcian coastline to the major cities of Spain from which the bulk of holiday visitors normally come.
Image: Archive
