The high speed RENFE trains will begin to arrive in Alicante this summer
Thursday, April 11, 2013 @ 7:39 PM
HIGH SPEED rail links to the Costa Blanca are vital to the future of the tourist industry and the region’s economy – including the creation of jobs – it was claimed this week.
The Valencia Government undertaking a feasibility study to investigate extending the AVE rail network to Denia and Benidorm, the two centres linked by the narrow gauge TRAM line.
The high speed RENFE trains will begin to arrive in Alicante this summer after the direct line between the city and Madrid finally opens – making it possible to travel directly by rail from northern Europe.
President of the Valencia Generalitat Alberto Fabra announced the government’s commitment for the project named ‘Train of the Coast’.
Valencia is already linked to the AVE network but the mainline south from Spain’s third largest city ends at Gandia, yet for decades there have been calls for the line to be extended to its historic terminus at Denia – a move that remains controversial.
And the high speed spur between Alicante and Spain’s most famous resort, Benidorm, has been planned for a number of years.
ESSENTIAL
Last year the regional government announced a programme of engineering works along the TRAM line between Benidorm and Denia after claims it was to be closed. Thousands of people signed petitions calling for the link to be maintained, saying it was essential for both commuters and holidaymakers.
Mr Fabra said a direct rail link between Valencia and Alicante was “essential” to open up new opportunities for tourism in the region.
And he said the coastal train service would be fully integrated into Valencia’s transport system and the Spanish rail network – part of a protocol signed by central government, RENFE, and Valencia in 2011.
“This is strategically important for both tourists and for improving the quality of life of residents who live here or want to live here with us in the coming years,” he said.
Mr Fabra said the new age of the train was fully supported by town halls because of the visitors it would bring to the whole region.
And he said visitor numbers to the Costa Blanca as a whole were expected to leap in June when the Ave line between Alicante and Madrid opened.
INTERNATIONAL
He said it was a “qualitative and quantitative” jump in the accessibility of the coast to tourists – a region which had “one of the best international airports in Spain” in Alicante’s El Altet Airport and a comprehensive network of motorways linking it to Europe.
The president said tourism remained one of the main assets of the Costa Blanca and the whole of Valencia’s coastline – the Costa boasting 120 Blue Flags for the quality of its beaches.
“We are confident tourism is a sector we can continue to grow and develop – it remains a key area for us because it remains our past, our present and our future.”
Calpe Councillor Carole Saunders was with Mr Fabra as he outlined the proposals for the future of the railway network on the coast.
“It appears the Gandia to Denia extension remains the most controversial section because of its likely environmental impact,” she explained.
“Unfortunately, you have to weigh the cost of any environmental damage against the number of jobs being created and bringing more tourists to the area – tourism is our most important industry now.”
Source: RTN