The railway service that connects Murcia, Lorca and Águilas will be suspended from Alcantarilla this next October 1, and from the capital of the Region from February of next year, in order to undertake the execution of the works of the AVE between Murcia and Almeria.
According to ADIF High Speed, the works will allow the Murcia-Lorca-Pulpí line to have an electrified double track, high capacity and without level crossings, compared to the current single track without electrification. It will also be connected to Águilas by electrified track in standard gauge.
In addition, level crossings will be eliminated and pedestrian and vehicle permeability will be guaranteed during the development of the works.
What alternative service is offered to travelers after the closure of the Alcantarilla-Aguilas commuter line on October 1?
Renfe has established an Alternative Transport Plan to guarantee the mobility of users during the period of interruption of railway traffic due to the works programmed by ADIF as of October 1.
The Alternative Transport Plan will be developed in two phases: the first, from October 1, and the second, from February 2022. During both, the Cercanías services will be carried out by road between Murcia del Carmen-Lorca Sutullena- Águilas, adapting the departure times of the buses with the official departure time of the trains.
Two bus services will be established in both directions: one semi-direct, with stops in Alhama de Murcia, Totana and Lorca San Diego, and another seasonal, with stops at all stations along its route.
The service between Lorca and Águilas will be carried out with a seasonal bus stopping at all the stations along the route (Puerto Lumbreras, Almendricos, Pulpí, Jaravía, Águilas El Labradorcico and Águilas) upon arrival of the semi-direct bus from Murcia.
According to Renfe’s calculations, the bus service will increase travel time by between 20 and 40 minutes.
These are the schedules established by RENFE:
– Murcia-Águilas / RENFE bus schedules
Bus timetable Águilas-Murcia / RENFE
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According to ADIF AV, railway users will benefit the most from the AVE works with a “qualitative leap” in services between Murcia and Alicante, with reductions of up to 30% in travel times, and connectivity with the rest of the Mediterranean Corridor and the high-speed network.
The expected evolution of demand in the Murcia-Águilas suburbs points to between two and three million travelers per year once the project is completed, compared to 1.2 million today.
With a total length of 106.9 kilometers, the works begin with the second phase of the integration of the railway in Murcia, from the Murcia del Carmen and Barriomar stations; Nonduermas-Sangonera (8.9 km); Sangonera-Totana (24.7 km); Totana-Totana (7 km); Totana-Lorca (13.3 km); Lorca-Pulpí (31.3 km); Pulpí-Águilas (21.7 km).
In these seven sections, 23 viaducts, nine tunnels (four new and five whose section is expanded) and 20 structures will be built.
There is no date for the start-up of the commuter trains once they are cut, although there will be a first start-up of Murcia del Carmen- Murcia Merchandise, a second phase between Murcia-Merchandise and Lorca San Diego and finally a third phase for the start-up of the service between Lorca and Águilas.
How do the AVE works affect the Cartagena-Murcia-Albacete-Madrid line?
The cutting of this line was planned, in principle, for next November 20, even RENFE put out to tender the bus service to allow alternative travel by road to users of these lines. A service to which he was going to allocate almost one million euros from November 20 of this year to February 28, 2022.
However, on August 30, the president of ADIF High Speed, María Luisa Domínguez, was in the Region of Murcia and announced that the services of the Region of Murcia with Albacete and Madrid would not be cut off, as indicated. initially.
The director of Renfe’s Cercanías and Other Public Services Business Area, José Enrique Cortina, confirmed that there will not be a total cut off of the passenger line between Murcia and Chinchilla. The termination and departure station, in the Region of Murcia, of Intercity trains bound for or departing from Madrid is being studied.
Among the stations being considered are: Alcantarilla, Archena-Fortuna, Cieza, Calasparra or Hellín, already in the province of Albacete, connecting the rest of the section to the city of Murcia with buses.
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