Tenerife train and tram link to airports finalised

The Cabildo of Tenerife and Aena are putting the finishing touches to the route for the southern train and the extension of the tram line to Los Rodeos airport. The island’s governing body and the state-owned company held a final technical meeting on Wednesday before signing the agreement, according to the Cabildo’s president, Rosa Dávila (CC), who spoke at a press conference following the island’s Governing Council meeting on 24 June.

The nationalist leader said that the “technical aspects” have now been resolved and that “the agreement is very close”. Dávila acknowledged that the southern train route forms part of Aena’s project to expand Tenerife South Airport (Reina Sofía) and confirmed that the railway will run through the airport at surface level, not underground. “It will enter the airport perimeter, but not the terminal building itself,” she said.

Agreement also covers tram extension

This agreement with Aena, Dávila noted, also includes the extension of the tram line to Los Rodeos airport. A meeting between the Cabildo and Aena took place back in February, with the company planning to spend €867 million across Tenerife’s two airports in the 2027-2031 period. At the time, Dávila reported that the arrival of the southern train and the tram extension “are included in the execution of the new terminal”.

Of this sum, €554 million will be allocated to Tenerife South Airport for a “complete remodelling of the terminal area”, which includes the connection to the southern train, new commercial areas, restaurants, and outdoor spaces “adapted to the island’s climate”, as well as “improvements to operational quality and service standards”.

First monitoring meeting this Friday

This Friday, the Cabildo’s president added, the first monitoring meeting of the protocol for the development of Tenerife’s railway projects will take place. The meeting will be held at the Government Presidency headquarters and will be attended by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport, Rocío Béguena; the Canary Islands Government’s Minister for Public Works, Pablo Rodríguez; and the island’s Councillor for Mobility, Eulalia García.

Two train lines are planned in Tenerife in response to the constant congestion on the roads. One in the south, with a route of almost 80 kilometres and seven commercial stations, and another in the north, covering 36 kilometres with six stops. A further train line is also being planned in Gran Canaria. In this case, it would run 57 kilometres from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Maspalomas and would have eleven stations. The three initiatives would cost just over €4 billion.

Coalición Canaria backs train as “only solution”

Coalición Canaria has championed the train as “the only solution” to improve mobility in Tenerife. However, a document commissioned by the Cabildo itself placed this option last and concluded that the most suitable alternative involves up to three bus-HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes, car parks, and an extension of the tram. The study was carried out by the company Tema Ingeniería and included an assessment of up to 17 different transport infrastructure options for the authorities to consider over the coming decades “from a sustainability perspective”.

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Tenerife train and tram link to airports finalised