The Community of Madrid has proposed transferring the railway infrastructure between Móstoles and Navalcarnero to the Ministry of Transport with the aim of integrating it into the Cercanías network. Although the project does not directly affect Alcorcón, its reactivation could significantly improve mobility throughout the southwestern region.
The initiative seeks to utilize the works executed over a decade ago, which were halted due to the economic crisis, to extend rail service to municipalities lacking direct Cercanías connection. The goal is to recover infrastructure that has remained unused since then.
The expansion project, awarded in 2009, was intended to connect Móstoles, Arroyomolinos, and Navalcarnero via an extension of the C-5 line, spanning over 14 kilometers with an investment of approximately 370 million euros. Economic difficulties and execution problems led to the halt, with only about eight kilometers completed, mainly in the areas around Móstoles and Navalcarnero.
Since the halt, the infrastructure has remained unfinished, and the Community of Madrid and the awarded company have been involved in various legal proceedings. Despite not passing through Alcorcón, the line's launch could benefit its residents, given the increasing interconnection between southwestern cities and the thousands of daily commutes between Alcorcón, Móstoles, Arroyomolinos, Navalcarnero, and Madrid.
An expansion of the Cercanías network would offer new public transport alternatives, easing the pressure on the main access routes in the area and facilitating travel to high-traffic commercial and business areas like the vicinity of Xanadú, which was part of the original project.
The recovery of this infrastructure highlights the transport needs in the southwestern corridor of the Community of Madrid, particularly in municipalities like Arroyomolinos, which have experienced significant population growth without a corresponding evolution in rail connections.
Experts agree that strengthening public transport will be crucial to absorb future mobility demand. Although there is no specific date for the project's reactivation, the debate is open, and Alcorcón and its residents will closely monitor any developments, given the potential importance of this C-5 expansion.
