AVE SEVILLE TO ANTEQUERA
Time: 35 mins estimated
Frequency: future service
Stops: Sevilla Santa Justa, Aeropuerto de Sevilla, Osuna, Antequera Santa Ana.
Note: This page is about infrastructure for a future AVE train service. Travellers should consult the Sevilla to Málaga AVE train route or the Medium Dustance Regional service from Seville to Antequera to Granada to Almeria.
The line is part of a larger project called the "Eje ferroviario transversal de Andalucía" (Andalucía railway cross link axis) which will ultimately connect Portugal, Huelva, Sevilla, Antequera, Granada and Almería.
Construction of the Sevilla-Antequera-Granada section began in 2005. The civil engineering construction (earthworks, bridges, tunnels, track foundations and platform) for this section was undertaken by the Junta de Andalucía (regional government) rather than the national government's Ministerio de Fomento (Ministry of Development), who will complete the tracks, overhead catenary and signalling.
The route includes Sevilla-Santa Justa, Aeropuerto de Sevilla, Túnel de Los Alcores, Marchena, Osuna, Pedrera, Antequera-Santa Ana.
Most of the sub-sections have been under construction to some degree, with major earthworks completed from Marchena to Antequera, and in some sections the platform to support the track is complete. Installation of the track and overhead electrical catenary has not started.
Those exploring the countryside in this area, and some of those arriving at Malaga airport, will have seen the great scar on the landscape from the works and wonder what it is.
The platform works have been completed between Marchena and Bobadilla, costing 280 million euros, but work on the remaining and more expensive stretch between Sevilla Santa Justa and Marchena is incomplete.
The work was halted in 2011 and as yet there is no budget commitment for it to continue. The Junta de Andalucía returned €180 million in EU grant money as the project was not completed in the prescribed time. It is not likely to be completed in the near future as a more economical alternative is being undertaken.
The national government has decided to optimise costs by constructing a bypass link between the existing high-speed lines of Córdoba- Sevilla and Córdoba-Málaga at Almodóvar del Río. This will allow current high-speed services between Sevilla and Málaga via Antequera to save 20 minutes by routing directly and not travelling via Córdoba station to change direction. When the direct route is completed the journey time will be further reduced to 65 minutes.
In October 2018 storms washed away the rail bridge over the River Blanco at Aguadulce and the single train track of the old broad gage line was left hanging in mid air. The Junta de Andalucia offerered ADIFthe use of their AVE platform and it it was decided the quickest way to reinstate the old line was by a diversion onto this new platform from Osuna to Pedrera. In January 2019 it was dediced that this diversion would be a permanent re-route.