Alicante tram expansion

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) at present has a 93km line in the province of Alicante, between Alicante and Denia, on which there are 44 stations and 18 units running.

The Autonomous Community Authority’s Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports’ development of the Alicante Metropolitan tram project is enabling the network run by FGV to be modernised and extended and new sections to be incorporated.

In August 2003, the first 12.5km of the tram service between Alicante and El Campello were opened, preparing this section as a tram layout and getting under way the process of extending this new transport system in the city of Alicante and on the rest of the line communicating with Denia.

Alicante Metropolitan tram service forms part of the 2004-2010 Strategic Infrastructure Plan (PIE), undertaken by the Generalitat Valenciana’s Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport.

In line with the initiatives proposed in this plan, the Generalitat Valenciana Autonomous Community Authority is undertaking a programme of action intended to extend the metropolitan transport networks in the three main metropolitan areas of the Valencian Community.

This programme is intended to provide the Metropolitan area of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón with a modern, energetically efficient transport system able to give a high degree of accessibility to the whole population.

The development of the Alicante Metropolitan tram service enables the city of Alicante and its surroundings, by modernising and extending the Generalitat Valenciana’s Alicante-Denia Railway line (FGV), to stand on a par with other major European cities and become the first medium-sized Spanish urban centre (and the fifth city after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao) to have a high capacity transport system.

All in all, the tram service has an execution budget of more than ?500 million and will provide the Alicante urban centre and the Benidorm-Altea-Denia coastal axis with an innovative integrated transport system, based on the light rail system that allows tram units and train trams to be combined.

Two tram objectives

The overall design of the tram network envisages fulfilment of two basic objectives. The first axis of the tram entails the entry of the tram service into the city of Alicante, to connect the city centre with the closest municipalities. The building of this first phase will be formed around two lines, on which modern tram units will run:

Line 1

This line connects Alicante Multimodal station, where the services of RENFE, AVE and coaches are brought together, with El Campello, via Condomina. Apart from this line there are two different branch lines which connect this with Puerta del Mar and with Cabo de Huertas (Avenida Costablanca).

The tram sets off underground from the future Multimodal Station and travels along the Avenida de la Estación to its first stop beside the Plaza de los Luceros.

It then heads to Avenida Alfonso X El Sabio up to the intersection with Rambla Méndez Núñez, where the Market Station, currently being built, is located, designed as an emblematic feature for Alicante and as a landmark of the tram system.

From the Market Station the line goes on towards the Archaeological Museum Station, beside Avenida Vázquez Mella and the Glorieta del Doctor Mas Magro.

The tram then comes out onto the surface and soars over Avenida de Dénia on an overhead crossing. The line follows on by the Goteta canal, to later branch off towards the sea as far as La Goteta stop, where the network has a connection with La Marina Station that gives continuity to the tram line as far as Puerta del Mar and also in the direction of El Campello now, with a branch which will enable travellers to get as far as Cabo de Huertas.

Line 2

This line starts out from the Multimodal Station to give service to the Hospital, the Virgen del Carmen and Virgen del Remedio districts, the University Campus and San Vicente del Raspeig.

The second axis of the tram links up the Multimodal station with the Benidorm-Altea-Dénia axis by means of a semi-direct service and from 2006, as the present FGV layout is adapted, will have the latest generation rolling stock known as train-trams.

Transport that fits its setting

The introduction of a new rail-tram platform and the electrification of the layout is making it possible to replace the units of the traditional ‘trenet’ local train service with modern tram cars which will in the future coexist with the train-trams.

The urban development and re-arrangement of the space through which the tram travels has meant a considerable improvement as regards the safety, amenities and urban aesthetics of the new layouts.

Along with the urban redevelopment the design and functionality of the stops set along the tram layout takes on great importance as a reference point for the users.

Current service and forecast

Alicante tram service runs every 20 minutes at peak hours and 30 minutes during the rest of the day on the Alicante-El Campello tram line. These services are modified when the new summer timetables are introduced from May and will be extended during the nights of June, July and August with ‘TRAMsnochador’, the late night services, coinciding with the Hogueras celebrations.

These services will be extended with the arrival of the nine train-trams built by Alstom. The new units will start to run from the end of 2005 to early 2006, giving service on the Alicante-El Campello line (every 15 minutes and more frequently at peak hours), on the branch line to Cabo de Huertas (every 20 minutes) and also heading for La Vila-Joiosa (every 30 minutes) leaving from Alicante.

At the end of the year the six refurbished units will be arriving to cover the La Vila-Joiosa-Denia line.

Half way through 2006 the connection with Market Station will come into operation (previously going by Marq station).

The aim of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and the FGV is for a direct service to be able to be opened between Alicante and Benidorm between the end of 2006 and early 2007, extending the connection with La Vila- Joiosa and later on heading towards Altea.