Although the proposed southern train for Tenerife remains on paper for now, major steps forward have been taken and the Cabildo is committed to making it a reality. They have deemed the project "irreplaceable" and are working alongside the Ministry of Transport to secure funding.
The aim is to have the train operational within the next decade, making it the third most-used commuter rail system in Spain.
The first phase of the project will focus on the southern section, connecting San Isidro with Tenerife South Airport and Costa Adeje, at an estimated cost of €800 million.
Route and Network
The railway will connect Santa Cruz with Costa Adeje, spanning 79.7 kilometres and crossing seven municipalities: El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo, Güímar, Fasnia, Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel de Abona, Arona, and Adeje.
The route will feature eight sections, starting in Santa Cruz, where the first station will be located at Santa María del Mar-Añaza-Acorán. The second station will be in Candelaria, and the third, after travelling over 40 kilometres, will be in San Isidro, with a stop at Tenerife South Airport. Then the train will continue to Los Cristianos before reaching its final stop in Costa Adeje.
Railway Stations
Each station along the route, except for the airport, will include an interchange with parking facilities. These interchanges will be built either above ground or underground.
Above-ground stations will include passenger buildings and vestibules located beside one of the platforms, with either an underpass (San Isidro) or an overpass (Candelaria) for crossing the tracks. Underground stations will feature vestibules above the platform areas.
Tunnels
The train line will include several tunnels and false tunnels. The first tunnel on the southbound route will be situated outside Santa Cruz, running beneath the TF4 and TF1 roads. The estimated cost of this tunnel exceeds €67 million.
After departing from Santa Cruz, the route to Candelaria will pass through two consecutive tunnels: Radazul Tunnel, measuring 3,157 metres, and Lomo del Alférez Tunnel, measuring 2,639 metres. Upon reaching Candelaria, the train will travel underground to cross the TF1. Small tunnels and false tunnels will be encountered along the route to Tenerife South Airport, where the station will be underground.
Further along, in section six at La Oroteanda and the Llano del Camello industrial area, a tunnel of approximately two kilometres will be constructed. Another tunnel, featuring a series of curves, will be located at Montaña de Guaza. The final section to Costa Adeje will also include tunnel segments.
In total, the railway will incorporate 17,483 metres of tunnels, 6,842 metres of false tunnels, 9,440 metres of viaducts, and 1,695 metres of overpasses.
Speed and Travel Time
The project plans for the train to reach a maximum speed of 220 kilometres per hour, though it will travel at reduced speeds in Santa Cruz and near interchanges. Designed as a high-performance train, services will run every 15 minutes, with an end-to-end journey time of 39 minutes.
The council estimates that the train will carry 175,000 passengers per kilometre, making it six times more frequently used than the Seville commuter service and up to 47 times more than Cantabria’s equivalent.
Project Timeline
In September 2024, the public company Metropolitano de Tenerife was awarded the contract to update the environmental impact assessment for the project. The company has until May to complete the update, after which the document will be reviewed by the relevant authorities and subject to public consultation and approval processes.
The Cabildo anticipates that the first phase of construction could be contracted by the end of 2027, with the entire project expected to be completed by 2031. Further sections of the network will be developed thereafter.
