Rail station at Riquelme

Thanks to Hilary for the update below. Sounds like the `get station to re-open` project is still alive!   (What do you mean "what station" !)

Hi Steve
 
To cut a long story short, I collected a petition of 1000 signatures after visits to goverment offices in 2010, calls and copies of the petition went to RENFE and ADIF and then there was a change of government from the PSOE to the PP in 2011.

When the new PP representatives came to Avileses last year, I went with Michael Corke and Antonio Escalera. We met with the new reps again and I then passed the petition to Antonio Escalera who met with the PP Representative again and we have a yes in principle for the Train Station. However, as the goverment have little funding a lot of these approved projects seem to sit and wait until we don´t know when. It is very frustrating.
 
I have just spoken to Antonio Escalera, he is going to go to Murcia tomorrow to outline to the department of works that it will not cost much to convert the station, we just want the trains to stop! We may need a wooden platform to raise the platform higher, but we do not need a footbridge which would cost a lot of money.
 
And so, between myself and Antonio we keep pushing until we finally get an opening date.
 
I will keep you posted and by all means do post the update on the forum.

Best regards
 
Hilary

stevewilmott
 

 The train station at Alhama de Murcia does not have a footbridge. You have to pull cases across the line at a crossing point . Warnings in Spanish take care as trains go very fast!!!

Hi I agree - we were out recently at our place at La Tercia and although going to Balsicas station for our trip to Murcia was no hardship it would have been great to get on the train at Hacienda Riquelme.  The funny thing is that trains do actually pause at HR station.

Hillary - I am sure you know, but others may not.  We discovered there are 3 types of train service - long distance, medium distance and local.  If you take a trip to Murcia on the local train (the one with 2 carriages) it costs about 5.40 euro return.  If you happen to get on the medium distance train (as  we did in blissful ignorance for our trip home) then we had to pay a supplement of 70 cents each to get back to Balsicas.  If you want to go on the fast (long distance train i.e. the one that goes to Barcelona from Cartagena via Murcia station) then the round trip Balscias./Murcia/Balscias is something like 30 euros each!!!   The problem is that the timetable tells you all the train times and which service it is, but not that the cost is so different in each case.  However, there is a lovely guy at Balsicas station who was very helpful about all of this!

Hope this is a little helpful and thank you Hillary for all your hard work on this (we did sign the petition).

Sandra

Hi Sandra thanks for the info, I will pass it on. In the meantime here is an email I received from Hilary last night with a further update:-

Antonio Escalera went to Murcia last Friday and met with the Manager of Renfe, and pointed out that it will not cost much to convert the station. He has asked to simply let the trains stop without any changes to the station (it is thought that if we ask for any works initially it will take time as it will require funding).
There will be a change in the timetable for the trains in June and the Renfe Manager is going to try to get the trains to stop from mid June to see what the traffic will be for the Summer. This is not yet confirmed so it might not happen.

Antonio and Hilary will keep pushing our case and will let us know when anything new is known
Steve