Cartagena aims to reconnect with Madrid by train with hybrid option
Mayor pushes plan to bring back direct rail line well before the high-speed AVE arrives
Cartagena’s Mayor Noelia Arroyo has put forward an encouraging plan to restore the direct rail link to Madrid much sooner than expected. Using hybrid trains freed up from other routes, the city could see a direct connection in just a few months, rather than waiting a decade for the arrival of the high-speed AVE service.The hybrid 730 series trains could offer eight daily direct journeys taking around four hours, eliminating the need to change trains in Murcia or Alicante. This short-term fix is based on research from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena and aims to quickly improve regional travel.
The next step would be electrifying the line between Cartagena and Albacete, a project announced last year. This would allow more trains, faster travel times, and a more direct route.
Arroyo emphasises the urgency, saying, “We can’t wait for the AVE, which could take a decade. Immediate solutions exist; they just require political will.” She has also been vocal on the need for affordable fares and suggests public compensation for the Cartagena-Murcia commuter service until the network is fully modernised.
Alongside the mayor of Albacete, Arroyo recently signed a cooperation agreement to push these initiatives within local and national government, highlighting the importance of better rail connections for economic growth and tourism.
For Cartagena, a city increasingly on the rise, reestablishing this rail link is seen as essential. The mayor has said, “Cartagena is a city of future and opportunities,” making the restoration of efficient train services a key priority in keeping that promise.
You might also be interested in: From Madrid to Murcia, Alicante and Málaga: Ouigo’s budget trains take Spain by storm in first year
Image: Mircea Iancu/Pixabay
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