much-demanded train from Nerja to Algeciras could soon be a reality and it might stop near to a 'UK owned country'.

A major trainline currently in the preliminary stage could have a stop in a small town just 20 minutes from The costa railway is envisioned to have six stops: Nerja, Malaga, Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona and Algeciras. However, the Mayor of La Linea, Juan Franco, has also been campaigning for a stop to be included in his town.

A stop in La Linea will only qualify if there is "enough demand", however the Mayor has pointed out that this would be the case as "between the two towns [Gibraltar and La Linea] we have a population of over 100,000 residents".

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A Spanish study has suggested that if the costa train is divided up into five zones with at the centre, Nerja the eastern-most stop and Algeciras the western-most, a stop in La Linea would serve more people than half of those. Especially if the Spanish authorities included the population of Gibraltar in their calculations. If a stop was included in La Linea, it would also open the UK territory up to more tourists.

"While clearly a Spanish undertaking, such a train line would be a fantastic opportunity for the Rock," said Eran Shay, board director of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses, reports "There are a number of ways it would benefit our economy, not just in speeding up supply chains and wait times but boosting exports. On top of that, the increased mobility on the Spanish side of the border would expand the range employers in Gibraltar would have to hire workers, making it more attractive for both."

Eran added that the authorities could put on a shuttle bus from the station to the border, which would make it even easy for commuters, shoppers and tourists to explore Gibraltar. Some estimates have suggested that around €50 to €100 million (£42 to £84 million) could be brought in, in indirect economic gains for Gibraltar. In addition, it could create 500 to 1,000 new jobs.

"It’s difficult to quantify the economic impact of the train without knowing more about train numbers and times, the proportion of passenger to freight, et cetera. But I really cannot see any negatives impacts for Gibraltar," Eran concluded. Each year 1.2 million tourists visit the Rock, with four out of five doing so by entering from Spain.

If the project goes ahead, the leg between Estepona and could see up to 4.9 million passengers yearly, with potentially 1.5 million stopping in La Linea – or around 4,110 a day. The railway is also expected to cost around €10 to €20 million (£8.4 to £16.8 million) to build per kilometre, which would mean that the complete line stretching 50 km would cost between €500 million to €1 billion (£420 to £840 million), in total.