Málaga's C-2 Train Line: A Tale of Free Passes and Persistent Delays

Málaga's C-2 Commuter Line: Free Passes Can't Fix Persistent Delays Málaga, Spain – The C-2 commuter train line, a vital link between Málaga city and the Guadalhorce Valley, is facing a crisis of persistent delays, despite recent government initiatives to increase ridership with free passes. Commuters are frustrated by the frequent disruptions to their daily routines. "The train to Álora, scheduled to leave Málaga Centro at 11:40 am, is running 15 minutes late." This is a typical announcement according to the video from 101TV Málaga. The line has seen numerous delays throughout May 2025, particularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, impacting both trains leaving Málaga and those departing from Álora. A significant incident on Monday, May 19th, caused widespread delays throughout the morning. A malfunction in the infrastructure resulted in significant delays until repairs were completed. "It was chaos," said one commuter who wished to remain anonymous. "I was late for work, and many others were too." Despite the introduction of free passes aimed at boosting ridership, the ongoing delays are undermining the positive impact of the initiative. The video highlights the 14 daily round trips on weekdays, with trains running from 5:44 am until 9:40 pm from Málaga and 6:37 am until 10:00 pm from Álora, but the delays are making the service unreliable. On weekends, the number of trains is reduced to eight round trips. While the free pass program has increased the number of passengers, the frequent delays continue to be a major concern for commuters. Addressing the infrastructure issues and improving the reliability of the C-2 line is crucial to ensuring an efficient and dependable public transportation system for the region.