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Murcia to Albacete rail link faces further delays until late 2026
The Ministry of Transport has yet to commit to a firm date for the direct rail corridor between the Region of Murcia and Madrid
The direct railway line between Murcia and Albacete looks set to remain closed until at least the second half of 2026, with no official reopening date yet confirmed by the Ministry of Transport. The Commission for the Defence of the Cartagena-Albacete Railway Corridor has been unable to pin down ministers to a firm commitment, as the timeline remains dependent on ongoing undergrounding works in Murcia.
Reopening the line, which will finally establish a direct link with the Spanish capital, hinges on Adif completing the underground section of the Murcia route and bringing the new El Carmen station into service.
Come February 2026, it will be four years since this direct rail link to Madrid via Cieza and Hellín was closed, far exceeding the initial projections for how long passengers would be without the service.
Antonio del Campo Navarro from the CCOO union confirmed that the Ministry is now working towards the second half of next year, although this timeline could be brought forward depending on construction progress.
The Ministry wants to open the new station and underground section at the same time, which includes completing the final 300 metres of track needed to connect with the old line at Nonduermas. This connection would allow trains from Murcia to run through to Cieza and Hellín.
During his visit in August, Minister Óscar Puente said the station would be operational by 2026.
The underground section will feature two tracks, one equipped with a third rail for conventional trains. Adif hasn't indicated any support for reopening Nonduermas station to resume passenger services before the works are finished.
Once the Albacete section reopens, Renfe plans to restore the freight and passenger services that operated before the closure, although the details are still being worked out. The campaign platform is calling for two daily passenger services using Alvia S-730 hybrid trains between Cartagena and Madrid, which would require a gauge change in Albacete.
This proposal has backing from the mayors of Cartagena and Albacete, who are demanding a faster service during the ongoing high-speed rail works between Murcia and the port city, a project that won't be completed for at least eight years. The Ministry hasn't responded yet.
The platform is also requesting two regional trains from Cartagena to Albacete that could continue to Madrid via the Alcázar de San Juan line. The group is additionally demanding improvements to commuter and regional rail services in Cartagena and Murcia, as well as in Cieza and Hellín.
As an alternative, they're considering two daily shuttle trains in each direction between Cartagena and Albacete, with passengers transferring to continue towards Madrid.
As for the Murcia-Almería high-speed line works, the Ministry is still aiming to have trains up and running by the end of 2027. The biggest delays affect the underground route in Lorca and the stations and viaducts at Totana and Alhama.
Image: Archive
