For months, the train route between Málaga and Spain’s capital, Madird, was impassable. Hundreds of thousands of passengers were affected by the closure and had to face delays, late arrivals and transfers to buses. Now finally, since the 30th of April, trains are running again from Málaga straight to Madrid, as confirmed by the state-owned infrastructure operator.
Fatal train crash near Córdoba
The route between the two cities had been closed since January 18 due to a massive train crash near Córdoba, which is around one and a half hours from Málaga. A crack in a weld is believed to have caused the track to break, causing the derailed cars to crash into an oncoming train. No abnormalities were reportedly found during inspections of the route in June 2025. Still, more than 40 people died that day.
In consequence to that catastrophe, trains slowed down across the whole country. This led to widespread delayed arrivals for passengers.
A landslide blocked the train route
However, the train crash was not the only reason for the closed train route. The severe storms during the first months of 2026 put a lot of strain on the railway line, too. Heavy rainfall led to a massive landslide near Álora, not far from the city of Málaga.
The retaining walls near the tracks collapsed, and the tracks were completely buried. The route was impassable again. Therefore, it took its time to free the tracks, repair the retaining walls and lay new tracks.
The separation of Málaga
This series of disasters led to the train service being suspended for months, but it has finally reopened. Not only is this a great development for the overall mobility of the people, but it is also particularly positive for Málaga’s Hoteliers’ Association and its government. They portrayed the situation as if the city was completely cut off from the rest of the world and worried especially about the city’s greatest source of income: tourism.
But instead that no one found their way to Málaga, the city’s tourism boomed. The tourism industry reached new record amounts of money, especially during the week of Semana Santa, where one was not even able to walk across Málaga’s city center.
Longer travel times for passengers
Even though people are now again able to take a train directly to Madrid from Málaga, the train service is currently rolling on a limited basis. For the time being, service on the route between the cities will be limited to a single track since construction work is still pending on the other track. This will probably lead again to longer travel times and delays for passengers. Two-track operations are not expected to begin until the end of the year.
Nevertheless, passengers are still relieved. Their journey is less complicated without any transfers and they save around an hour and a half. This makes a trip to Spain’s capital way more delightful.
However, if you wanna go to Madrid anytime soon, check the departure times carefully before your trip to avoid any inconvenience.
