Hi forum, I’m heading to Spain now, and I received another email this morning that another train ticket is cancelled. This one is for mid-March going from Cordoba to Malaga.
Can anyone who is in Spain verify if the trains are actually running on their normal schedule between Cordoba to Madrid - not just available to purchase? I may switch my flight home to depart from Madrid instead of Malaga.
Thanks!
Hmmm...Jean...you've made me super curious. I have a ticket for that route on April 5th and I feel like I read that route is running so I'm hopeful someone will weigh in with solid details.
Valerie, I was supposed to take a train from Malaga to Cordoba in two days. That one was cancelled a week ago, so I bought a bus ticket. I hope that’s actually running. Otherwise, I’m doing train routes along the Cordoba-to-Cadiz line. One of those sent me an email that it is already planning to be delayed two hours.
....that another train ticket is cancelled
Train tickets aren't cancelled. Trains are, but tickets not.
A common misunderstanding is that a train ticket is a token that gives you access to a particular train. That is however not what a trian ticket is. A train ticket is a receipt that shows that you entered in a transportation contract with a Railway. So if you have eg. a ticket from Cordoba to Malaga you have a contract with the railways to transport you from Cordoba to Malaga. If this cannot be done with the train you originally selected during booking, and for which you have a reservation then the railways must offer you an alternative.
So if you see a train being cancelled you can actually ignore that. Just contact the railway, or go to the station, and ask them how they plan on fulfilling their end of the bargain.
WengenK, the first one that was cancelled gave me an email notification that it was cancelled & I was being reimbursed. The latest one is that I can change the date or be reimbursed.
I need to get back to Malaga (or Madrid if I change it) to fly home the following day, so changing transportation on a train line to a different day won’t work for me.
The stretch between Antequera and Malaga are still being covered by bus.
Also, you can check for up-to-date info here:
https://www.adif.es/viajeros/estado-de-la-red
Good luck!!!
Thanks, Carrie! I’ll check that site each day - appreciate it.
Jean - Now that I'm sleuthing around about this, I checked the link that Carrie included and it won't translate to English on the site - even though there's an English option up at the top. So Google translate it is - which isn't great, but I can get the gist of things. I read the translated site and then I did some dummy bookings for various days on my Trainline app. Trainline give a bus warning - due to storm damage, not accident damage - for the next few weeks and then it reverts to train departures.
Another thought - if switching your flight home costs a lot of time and/or money - a private driver, if you're desperate because the train isn't going and the bus won't work for you. I ended up booking one for one of my transits due to my (typically poor) decision to arrive in Malaga right during Semana Santa.
I booked Solhop transfers and their price for Cordoba to Malaga is 249 Euros, which is clearly a lot, but might be a good back up plan to have while you wait to see if the trains will be going.
My computer translates to English automatically, so I don’t even realize when it’s doing it.
Jean, if you have trouble getting the English info. while you are traveling just let me know. I’ll be happy to copy the info. into a PM for you. At least until March 11th when I leave for my own trip and won’t have my computer.
Jean - I found an article from a meeting that occurred today. It looks like it’s a bus connection until at least March 23. They’re hoping to get trains back by Easter week. But it’s unclear if they will. Here’s the article. It’s free but it made me watch a short ad.
Currently I have these tickets & plans. Hopefully they are running!
Malaga to Cordoba- tomorrow; train cancelled & refunded. Taking the bus.
Cordoba to Cadiz - train
Cadiz to Jerez de La Frontera - train
Jerez to Sevilla- train
Sevilla to Malaga (various cancellations. Have a different train & still awaiting Cordoba to Malaga best solution besides a late afternoon bus.
One more flight today, and I’ll arrive at beautiful Spain!
We travelled on the fast train Cordoba to Madrid on the 22 Februray.
They reopened on the 18 Feb, and at this stage are operating as per usual.
Sorry I should add trains Madrid to Andalucia are back to normal after the accident.
However as you are aware not all trains are operating in Andalucia i.e Malaga, after the huge storm early February. I believe the Cordoba Cadiz line is operating again.
I was in Spain last week and the trains from Granada to Cordoba (Thurs) from Cordoba to Madrid (Saturday)both operated, albeit a little behind schedule.
Hi Jean - welcome to Europe, and enjoy your time in Spain ! You are so good at working around these train issues, even when they have cancelled your ticket.
Jean, people forget that these are most the most excellent times of our lives and we want things to go smoothly. Its not like commutting to work. Despite canceled tickets you overcame. Excellent. We hae a good group here for help or at least encouragment. Safe Travels. Make sure to put the canceled ticket in your journey scrap book.
Hi everyone! I really appreciate each of you for replying! I was waiting at the bus station today, and the woman beside me was from Canada. She’s 91 and traveling alone! Reset your expectations of when you’re too old to travel! : )
Here’s what I experienced today in case we have someone coming soon on this route:
Malaga-to-Cordoba
The train isn’t running, but they added an extra bus. There were two buses leaving at noon. One had the usual route to stop at a few locations. The second bus was where they directed me. It only stopped at Cordoba. The ticket said we would arrive at 2:30pm but we arrived at 2:00pm.
I will have a similar one going back to Malaga at the end of this trip in March. I have to wait in Cordoba awhile because the train from Sevilla & bus onwards have a couple hours gap. But I’m just happy they’re running! I decided to stick with Malaga (not switch to Madrid) when I saw they’re having a festival at the waterfront during my last two days. I love the festivals!
Thanks again! Cordoba was beautiful & sunny today!
