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Date Published: 15/02/2024

Costa del Sol motorway tolls could be scrapped until train line is extended

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Plans are underway to approve an expansion of the railway that would stretch from Málaga to Marbella and Estepona

Costa del Sol motorway tolls could be scrapped until train line is extended

Several mayors of towns in the Costa del Sol have thrown their support behind a petition to temporarily scrap toll charges on the AP-7 motorway until the C1 Cercanías commuter train line is expanded to reach Marbella and Estepona.

They also emphasised the importance of extending the rail line to Estepona and the Campo de Gibraltar region, and urged the Spanish government to provide necessary support for the project.

Last month, the regional government in Málaga confirmed it was considering plans to construct a railway connection between Málaga city and the popular resort town of Marbella, a link which has been in high demand for several years but has never got off the starting blocks.

Also of interest: Work begins on extension of Málaga Metro

The goal of the regional administration is to extend the existing Cercanías line, which currently runs between Málaga and Fuengirola, to include a stop in Marbella. According to expert projections, the new route is expected to draw between 34 and 46 million passengers annually.

“The A-7 motorway has been too small for years to absorb the high level of urban and interurban traffic. If urgent measures are not taken with immediate effect, such as suspending the motorway toll, which is also the most expensive in Spain, the growth of the Costa del Sol will be severely hampered,” Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz said.

Estepona mayor José María García Urbano said, “It is necessary to adopt measures that provide a solution to mobility in such a dynamic area of the country as the Costa del Sol and the metropolitan area of Malaga.”

While it’s generally agreed that a new train line is badly needed, Málaga’s provincial authority president Francisco Salado believes the only short-term solution is for “the toll on the Costa del Sol motorway to be released, subsidised or suspended”.

“It is the only alternative in the short term to avoid the traffic jams that are becoming more frequent and that affect and harm thousands of workers, students, families and businesses every day,” Salado added.

In other news: Almeria beats heat record for highest February temperature ever

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