Spain looking to invest in its infrastructure

The Costa del Sol Malaga to Estepona railway line has been named one of the highest priorities as Spain looks to update its infrastructure. With rising numbers of tourist’s year on year and more people looking to invest in the country, transport links are highlighted as important for people to move around easily.

The Costa train line, with an estimated cost of €5 billion, has been promised on and off since the 1990s, but it has stalled due to lack of funding and a lack of agreement between Madrid and the Junta.
The train service, which would run from Malaga airport to Marbella and Estepona, may now be with us within a decade as Spain’s economy continues to be one of the fastest growing in the Eurozone, freeing up more capital and increasing investment ceilings.
Julián Núñez, president of SEOPAN – the Association of Construction Companies and Concessionaires of Infrastructure – says the government will most likely prioritise health and education over the next two years.

But he added: “The consolidated GDP growth and the progressive scale back of the deficit have created some space to increase public investment in infrastructure.”

He has therefore created a prospective investment portfolio for the government, listing the projects that are a priority to improve the country’s competitive edge and which will increase economic activity. Having been reduced by 58% since 2009, public investment in Spain is overdue and very welcome.

With the upturn in the property market, more people getting mortgages and more building work going on generally, the country is doing very well in an economic environment where many in Europe aren’t.

Whilst in Estepona plans have been completed for the Senda Litoral (coastal path) that runs through the district. This Is an excellent draw for walkers, hikers and runners as people love walking the existing stretches. The first new Estepona stretch to be announced is in the Arroyo Taraje area. Here a 130-metre-long paved walkway will be laid out and a 20-metre wooden bridge. There will also be landscaping and lighting.

The second announced stretch is alongside the Las Dunas hotel and will run for 130 metres. This will link up with the Hacienda Beach and Cabo Bermejo paths to create a completed stretch of over three kilometres. In nearby Manilva a viewpoint has been suggested for the start of the coastal path.