Andalusia’s regional minister for Development and Mobility, Mario Muñoz-Atanet, urged Spain’s government to act with “speed and specificity” to address the region’s road and rail infrastructure shortfalls. Speaking in the Andalusian Parliament about the State Transport Conference held in July, he said his ministry had sent a letter to the Transport Ministry that week detailing the region’s main infrastructure demands. He said the requests were the same as those made in October 2024.
Rail demands listed by Muñoz-Atanet included improvements to the Cercanías commuter rail network; progress on projects such as the Santa-Justa San Pablo rail connection and the Costa del Sol coastal train; the Seville–Huelva–Faro high-speed rail project; bringing high-speed rail to Almería; completing the Mediterranean Corridor; and finishing the renovation of the Algeciras–Bobadilla line.
He also called for solutions to the disruption to rail services in Andalusia, particularly in Jaén and Almería on routes to Madrid. He linked the disruption to work by the Transport Ministry, which began on 6 September, to adapt the Zaragoza–Algeciras rail freight route for use as a rail motorway. The work is expected to continue at least until autumn 2027, he said.
On the state road network, Muñoz-Atanet described the deterioration as “striking” and called for stronger road-surface maintenance and rehabilitation plans, as well as urgent action on congestion. He cited the A-7 where it passes through Málaga, the AP-4 between Seville and Cádiz, a third lane on the A-49, the A-44 between Granada and Motril, and unfinished projects including the Puente del Centenario bridge and completion of the SE-40 ring road, which he said were essential for Seville province.
Muñoz-Atanet said Andalusia was asking the state for the same measures two years later. He also said the State Transport Conference should have been chaired by Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who did not attend. According to Muñoz-Atanet, the conference had not been convened for four years, although it should meet twice a year, meaning eight meetings had not taken place.
He said the proposed agenda did not include discussion of the condition of state roads and railways, despite what he described as serious problems in their daily use. He called for temporary solutions while longer-term measures are prepared, and for more investment, faster action, and greater consultation and participation by the autonomous communities.