New Metro line tests under way in Malaga city centre

It is hoped that the line will be fully operational in time for the annual Fair, which begins on 12 August, and eventually be used by 18 million passengers a year.

The first trials of the Metro system in Malaga city centre are now under way, in the tunnels below the Avenida de Andalucía and the Alameda Principal. These consist of testing the power supply to the cables from the new electrical substation in the underground system near the station at El Corte Inglés, by running trains very slowly along the track. These are only preliminary tests, as the safety systems and signals have not yet been installed.

These initial tests are taking place at night, so there is no interruption to the service on Lines 1 and 2.

The works to complete the Metro system are progressing well; the roofs of the three entrances to the station at Guadalmedina are now almost finished, on both sides of the Albert Camus roundabout and outside El Corte Inglés.

The first trials on the sections of line between the Perchel, Guadalmedina and Atarazanas stations will also test the gauges, counter-rails and other structures which have recently been completed and will enable the trains to reach the city centre from Carretera de Cadiz and Teatinos.

This section of the line is expected to be used by 18 million passengers a year once they can travel from the Carretera de Cadiz and Teatinos to the Alameda Principal, a journey of less than 20 minutes. To put that into perspective, the best year so far for the Malaga Metro service was in 2019, before the pandemic, when it was used by 6,877,296 people, nine per cent more than the previous year.

It is hoped that the Metro system will be fully in operation by August, in time for the annual Fair which starts on 12th of that month. The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, is expected to be present when the final phase of the works officially begins.

Source: SUR in English, March 2022.