Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, 28 January, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) will provide a bus service between the Hospital Vila and Benidorm stops on Line 1 (Luceros-Benidorm) of the TRAM d’Alacant until the end of April.
Line 9 (Benidorm-Dénia) will return to normal along its whole route after the new Algar and Mascarat bridges are finished. This means you won’t need to make any transfers for the journey.
The train service on this part of Line 1 is stopped because workers are adding more tracks and installing electric lines. As an alternative, FGV has planned a bus service on this section with stops in Benidorm, Cala Finestrat, Hospital Vila, Costera Pastor and Creueta that will connect with the railway service in circulation, at the stops of Creueta (direction Luceros) and Benidorm (direction Dénia). The Terra Mítica stop will not have bus service in the affected area.
For more information about our services, you can check the schedule, stations, and TRAM stops by calling Customer Service at 900 72 04 72. You can also find this information on our website www.tramalacant.es and in the official app.
Opening of the Altea-Calp part of Line 9.
The new Algar and Masacrat bridges are finished, so the Altea-Calp section, which has been closed since last April, is now open again. Also, the upgrades to Line 9 are complete, allowing trains to run directly between Benidorm and Dénia without passengers needing to change trains.
The new Algar and Mascarat bridges complete the major makeover of Line 9 that began in 2014. This project by the Generalitat has caused disruptions in service in various parts of the line for the past ten years.
New bridges
The project on the Algar River involved making a new bridge next to the old one, which was built between 1913 and 1915. The old bridge is now used as a walkway, according to its classification as a Local Relevant Asset.
The Algar project involved building a bridge with a concrete slab that is 226 meters long and 6 meters wide.
The new Mascarat viaduct is a straight metal structure that weighs 114,000 kilogrammes and is 43.20 meters long. It crosses the valley with a single support and has the same design as the original deck, which is a PRATT-type metal structure.
Mascarat’s work includes replacing the railway platform’s structure with slab track for about 1.5 kilometres. They are also protecting and covering 12,475 square meters of slopes with strong triple torsion meshes around the three tunnels that the TRAM d’Alacant travels through in this area.
The new bridges will allow for the removal of the diesel trains, which will be replaced by newer dual-fuel trains. These new trains will be used on the Dénia-Calp section starting in 2023 and will operate along the entire line.
Features of the projects between Hospital Vila and Benidorm.
The ongoing projects are in the towns of Vila Joiosa, Finestrat, and Benidorm, covering a distance of 6.23 kms. The project has a budget of about 40 million euros, including VAT, and is funded by the European Union’s MRR.
The project involves building a second track, which includes making a new bridge over the Barranco del Murtal, laying down the track structure and adding electricity.
In this project, we will upgrade the Cala Finestrat and Terra Mítica stops to meet new accessibility standards. We will also improve access to the Hospital de la Marina Baixa from the Hospital Vila stop by adding a lift to make it easier for everyone to get to.
The project is set to start by the end of 2025 and will need to pause train services for a while.
Author: Derek Appleton
Other Articles
Strong wind warning
No Comment! Be the first one.