Marbella is the most populous municipality in the Iberian Peninsula without a railway station in its territory, and is the only Spanish city of over 100,000 inhabitants not served by rail.
[4][5] In 2004, a study into building the rail line was produced, with a proposed completion date of 2012, which was cancelled following the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis.
[7] The Málaga branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party announced support in February 2018 for the Costa del Sol railway to extend westward from Estepona to the existing Algeciras railway station and eastwards from Málaga to Nerja.
[7] Due to passing through many built-up areas, a significant portion of the line would be built underground.
[11] Members of Parliament in the comarca of Axarquía requested in 2018 that the Junta de Andalucia not "forget" the region, and provide a rail connection between Nerja and Málaga via Torrox and Vélez-Málaga.