After years of waiting, it was announced this week that the proposed high speed rail link between Antequera and Ronda is to go ahead. The proposals are now out to public consultation.

The AVE is coming to Ronda. This means significantly reduced journey times to Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Málaga and beyond. The project also includes completing the upgrade of the line from Ronda down to Algeciras to allow for the faster trains.

The announcement was made on Friday, 4 November, via a BOE, Boletín Oficial del Estado. According to this document there will be 64.4 kms. of double track electrified line of the European gauge between the existing AVE-station at Antequera-Santa Ana and La Indiana, the old station on the outskirts of Ronda where the new AVE station for Ronda will be built.

The project has a budget of 711.47 million euros and will follow the route of the current single track line between Bobadilla and Ronda. However, according to the website ferropedia.es the line will take a direct route from Setenil de las Bodegas to La Indiana, cutting out the S-loop which takes in Arriate and Ronda, and will cut through virgin countryside.

The proposals are now out to public consultation and the plans can be viewed at the Town Halls in Antequera, Campillos, Teba, Cañete la Real, Almargen, Ronda, Arriate, Olvera, Alcalá y Setenil de las Bodegas, as well as in Málaga City, Cádiz and Madrid.

I understand from an unnamed source that work will not commence until 2014. So peace and quiet for three more years before more new sounds are added to the local cacophony where we live.

© Paul Whitelock

Further reading:

BOE-B-2011-35706 - the Official Bulletin announcement (Spanish)
typicallyspanish.com - article in English
ferropedia.es - article in Spanish with maps
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrocarril_Bobadilla-Algeciras - Wikipedia's take on the matter (Spanish)

Articles in the Spanish Press:

www.malagahoy.es/article/malaga/1106263/ave/ronda/empieza/madurar.html
www.laopiniondemalaga.es/municipios/2011/11/05/fomento-somete-informacion-publica-estudio-tramo-antequera-ronda/461880.html
www.elpais.com/articulo/andalucia/AVE/Antequera/Ronda/sale/informacion/publica/elpepuespand/20111105elpand_1/Tes

Tags:  high speed train, AVE, Ronda, Antequera, Santa Ana, La Indiana, Bobadilla, Setenil de las Bodegas, BOE, Boletín Oficial del Estado, ferropedia.es, paul whitelock, www.a1-solutions-spain.com