The original proposal was for the line to go inland to link Almeria, Granada, Antequera and Sevilla, but the new plan concentrates more on the needs of freight (but carrying passengers) and will follow the coast linking Almeria, Motril, Malaga and Algeciras. The idea is that container traffic can be transferred to the trains for distribution right across Europe by rail.

The new Mediterranean railway corridor will allow passengers to travel from Algeciras along the coast as far as Barcelona and then into France and the rest of Europe. There will also be connections to Malaga Airport and the ferry port. Another part of the new plan is the selection of a central route though the Pyrenees.

The new proposal will be presented to the European Union for approval with construction planned between 2014 and 2030.

The Mediterranean Rail Corridor will connect 83 main ports, with road and rail links to the main network, 37 airports with rail links and 15,000 kilometres of high-speed track. Passengers will mostly travel on the high-speed lines, while goods trains will use international gauge tracks.

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