Alicante Tram
The meter-gauge tram Alicante ( in Valencian TRAM Metropolità d' Alacant) is, like the other public narrow gauge railways of the Valencian Community (Example: Metro Valencia) operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana ( FGV ). It was opened on 15 August 2003, started by replacing only one also meter gauge, diesel-powered railroad and is extended gradually to a line network.
It is (L3 lines, L4) is a combination of above-ground tram ( 4L), aboveground and underground rail in the city center as well as local trains, some of which are operated with diesel ( line L9) and partly as an electrically powered tram - trains speeds up to 110 km / h ( line L1).
- 2.1 Overview
- 2.2 Master track
- 2.3 lines L1 ( TREN - TRAM ) and L3 ( Tranvía de la Costa)
- 2.4 line L2 (University Line )
- 2.5 line L4 (Playa de San Juan )
- 2.6 4L line ( port shuttle)
- 2.7 line L9 (Norte / North)
- 2.8 Other planned lines
- 3.1 trams 3800 Series of Siemens Duewag
- 3.2 Tram -Trains 4100 Series from Vossloh
- 3.3 Flexity Outlook 4200 Series Bombardier
- 3.4 Diesel Railcar of the series in 2300 and 2500 by MAN
- 3.5 Limón Exprés
- 4.1 tram depot El Campello
- 4.2 Station Benidorm
- 4.3 Station Dénia
- 5.1 Passenger numbers
- 5.2 Timetable
- 5.3 announcements and music in the city railway
- 6.1 See also
- 6.2 External links
- 6.3 Notes and references
History
Railway Alicante - Dénia
On March 23, 1882 studies on possible rail routes from Alicante to La Villajoyosa and Altea Dénia approved after. The permission to build a narrow-gauge railway from Alicante to La Villajoyosa and the extension to Dénia about Altea was then on August 1, 1889 by King Alfonso XIII. , Who officially inaugurated the construction of the future station of La Villajoyosa on February 13, 1911. Production started at the Eisanbahnlinie Alicante - Altea on 28 October 1914 the extension Altea Dénia then on July 11, 1915. By August 1, 1964, there were continuous passenger trains on the route Alicante - Denia- Carcagente. However, cessations of individual sections were made on 11 July 1969 ( Gandía - Carcagente ) and 11 February 1974 ( Denia- Gandía ). On June 1, 1971 also the nostalgic Limón Exprés took on his trip operation. On 10 November 1986, the transport company Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana ( FGV ) was established, a track renewal between Alicante and El Campello took place in 1987.
The road to rail Alicante
Increasing mobility problems and high population growth suggest the construction of a new urban and regional public transport system, which could consist of the transformation and upgrading of the railway line Alicante - Dénia. On 15 December 1997 is made to this line, the new route via Condomina in operation and simultaneously shut down the section on Cabo de Huertas.
In 1999, the light rail project TRAM Metropolità is decided.
The first phase consists in the light rail moderate expansion of the section Alicante - Benidorm Altea, in a range extending from the FGV - station Alacant - La Marina to Plaza del Mar, the tunneling underground to the city center to the future central station Hauptbahnhof and a new Linienast to the neighborhoods Albufereta, Cabo de las Huertas and Playa de San Juan ( see below line L4).
In the second phase, the section from Altea to Denia is developed for city cars and there are two new sections to the Terra Mitica Amusement Park and the city center of Benidorm created.
On 17 March 1999 trams in a trial operation between Alacant - Porta del Mar and Platja Albufereta.
On the stretch of El Campello Villajoyosa -La the work on 22 March 2002 to be completed. From September 16 to December 23, 2002, the operating line is tentatively set on the Alicante -El Campello section to electrify the route to renew the track between La Marina and Isleta and around the section Isleta El Campello expand twofold.
The operation steps of the tram Alicante
On 15 August 2003, the first phase Alicante -El Campello is put into operation. This is Alicante to Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia to the fifth major Spanish city that has a modern urban transport system with high capacity.
In 2006, work will continue on the first section of the tunnel passing underneath the city center, complete. The tunnel is located under the Benacantil and ends provisionally at the underground station Mercado ( market). The construction contract for line L2 to the University of Alicante, the Company receives Subús, the public transport in Alicante ( Transporte Metropolitano de Alicante - TAM) operates. In addition, the work on the future light rail station Sergio Cardell line L4 will be completed. The station is due to their special artistic design controversial (picture: see line L4). On the future underground station Plaza de los Lucero's work will start, just on the La Villajoyosa Benidorm - section.
On 10 May 2007, the first underground stations Mercado (market ) and MARQ inaugurated (Archaeological Museum ) and put into operation. For the first time it is necessary to assign line numbers. On the new downtown section is now driving line L3. The existing route from Puerta del Mar to Albufereta is served by the new short line L4; a month there were only four stations. On June 15, the track will be inaugurated by Lucentum to Avenida Naciones and put into operation. There goes the now extended line L4. On July 30, the section between El Campello and La Creueta is ready for regular service. It is the regional express L1 set up for the main railway stations between Mercado and La Creueta. Line L3 is renewed once every hour from El Campello to Venta Lanuza and also holds in this section at all stations. The diesel-powered L9 is superfluous on the electrified section and only drives between La Creueta and Dénia.
On 2 June 2008, the section of La Creueta is taken to Benidorm in operation after the completion of electrification work. Line L1 is extended accordingly and shortened line L9. On July 17, the first time keep in regular service trains of L3 at the new station Sangueta.
On 2 June 2009 the new maintenance Campo de Golf ( Golf Course ) of the line L3 is set up on the anniversary of the electrified line to Benidorm. On December 18, the single-track loop-shaped section of the Avenida Las Naciones Plaza Coruña and in a different way back to the regular services of L4 is passed.
On 18 June 2010, the underground station " Lucero " put into operation and the extended lines L1 and L3 to get there. Line L4 changes its way and now travels also to " Lucero ". For thus no longer served by their stations " Puerta del Mar" and "La Marina", a new short pendulum 4L line is established, which provides a transfer possibility in L1, L3 and L4 on its third and final station " Sangueta ".
On 1 July 2013, the pendulum line 4L is decommissioned.
On September 4, 2013, the new L2 went with eleven new stations according to El Santuario in operation.
Planning
The line L1 to be extended to Altea and Garganes. A new line L5 between La Villajoyosa and Garganes to be established. The route of the extension of the line L1 to the airport is to be determined.
Route network
Survey
( Tram-train )
Trunk route
Since June 2, 2008, on line 1 of the stations between Mercado (market ) and Benidorm. The route is largely identical to that of line 3 between Mercado and Venta Lanuza. In contrast to line 3 with its shorter cycle and significantly more stops, it is at the trains running during the day in 30 -minute intervals Line 1 to an express connection. At various points on the line path, there are tunnels. The most important thing is 3 km long and crosses the center of Alicante from the viaduct over the Avenida de Denia to the future station Hauptbahnhof. It runs in the background of Mount Benacanti and the streets Avenida Alfonso X El Sabio and Avenida Estacion beneath a two-story underground parking garage.
He is four underground stations are: MARQ (Archaeological Museum ), Mercado (market ), Lucero and Central Station.
The level of the award-winning Archaeological Museum reasonable, the station MARQ was designed especially appealing: It is currently the only station with a central platform. Through one of the two inputs of natural light there. For the flooring natural stones were used.
The station Mercado is located in 22 meters deep and has direct access to an underground parking garage. In mid-2008 an auditorium was opened with 500 seats there also.
The B- level under construction station Lucero is a small underground shopping mall with kiosks will, restaurants, cafeterias and other small shops; by skylights daylight is admitted and you will hear the bubbling of the fountain at the surface. The platform level is 20 meters deep.
At the main station a transfer possibility between different public transport is created; are planned connections to the AVE high speed train to the long-distance and local trains of RENFE, as well as buses and coaches; also should there arise 450 underground parking spaces.
The four stations are set up so that an access is impossible without a valid ticket; addition, there are inputs for persons with reduced mobility.
The end of 2006, the tunnel below the Benacantil was completed and on 10 May 2007, the line operation of the stations began MARQ (Archaeological Museum ) and Mercado ( market). The on this day newly opened section between Mercado and the Finca Adoc is 2.4 km long (of which 740 meters in the tunnel) and has cost 105.4 million euros, of which 15 million attributable to the station and MARQ 30 million to the Mercado. The relatively high cost as well as various safety deficiencies on the new section will be criticized by the UGT.
The station Lucero is operational since June 2010. Advertised construction was for the 400 -meter-long section between Lucero and central station including the above planned underground car park with 450 parking spaces; the period ended on 16 July 2007; in the last quarter of 2007, the actual construction was then started. When completed, the tunnel and its four stations will sail together by the lines L1, L2, L3 and L4, in the future of line L9 and by another line to Sant Joan d' Alacant. He thus becomes the main route of the light rail network. Lucero is the busiest station of the entire route network since its opening.
Lines L1 ( TREN - TRAM ) and L3 ( Tranvía de la Costa)
Line L1 moves to the central 43 km stretch of the network. All other existing and planned lines are associated with it. While it uses only the most important railway stations in the manner of a regional express train, the trains of the shortened by the same route trains running line L3 stop at all stations. The end of the line L3 is with a journey time of 31 minutes El Campello, the line L1 moves in 72 minutes to Benidorm. Since the section between the stations Sangueta and La Isleta runs single track, the trains run on time in only one 30 -minute intervals. The clock should be increased as soon as the building is located there in 1.4 km long two-lane tunnel is completed, which is not predictable due to funding problems at the time.
Line L2 (University Line )
Line L2 was completed in the fall of 2011, the absence of operators but not yet in operation. On 26 June 2013, the testing of the route was added to start regular operation in September 2013. The 9.03 km long line path leads from the main station to El Santuario, this opens up the district Pla, Garbinet, Sagrada Familia, Virgen del Remedio and Virgen del Carmen in the city of Alicante and the district of Santa Isabel in the municipality of El Santuario. Further, one can achieve with this line, the hospital, the university, the mall outlet park as well as the health center San Vicente II. In the street Bulevar del Pla tram will ride on lawn track, similar to line L4 in the Avenida Miriam Blasco and in the street La Goleta.
Line L4 (Playa de San Juan )
The route of the line L4 leads from the station Porta del Mar, close to the port over the old railway station Alacant - La Marina and the Finca Adoc to station Avenida Las Naciones. In the future it will be extended Escandinavos to the road Países. Together with L3 it is to drive on the section between Sangueta and Lucentum. The two aforementioned stations are three-pronged. Line L4 is the area around Avenida Miriam Blasco and the district of Cabo de Huertas use, to then reach in the form of a loop, the Playa de San Juan. Test rides on the new section of Lucentum until the beginning of Avenida Las Naciones be carried out since 1 June 2007. The entire route of the line L4 runs in the city of Alicante and thus in the fare zone A.
Line 4L ( port shuttle)
The total 1.359 km long stretch of the line is one- 4L and runs right along the beach. It leads from the station Porta del Mar, close to the port over the old railway station Alacant - La Marina station Sangueta. There is access to the lines L1, L3 and L4.
The short line 4L with only three stations was set up in June 2010, since line L4, which had previously operated the route, was led into the downtown tunnel to the station Lucero. The 675 m long section between Porta del Mar and La Marina was put into operation before the construction of the actual light rail in 1999 as testing and Vorführstrecke and formed the basis for the original line L1. Since 1 July 2013, the route out of service.
Line L9 (Norte / North)
Line L9 is traveled as the only diesel trains. It runs the northern coast of the province of Alicante along, Benidorm from over Altea, Calpe and Teulada up to Dénia and has a length of 50.831 km. The journey time is 77 minutes.
Gradually, parts of the line to be electrified and then transferred L1 and other lines of line.
Other planned lines
2007 it was announced that City Council and Consejería de Transportes (Traffic Department ) are planning new lines from the central interchange station at the main station from the south. So is a line connecting the city center with the Municipal Cemetery and thereby serving the neighborhoods BENALUA and La Florida and the industrial area of Babylon. For a later stage also the possibility of a circle line around the city center around being considered.
Planned in the medium is also a rail link to be built to at Alicante airport (El Altet ) station at which then can be switched between similar range of public transport as the main station. The airport terminal is currently (spring 2008) rebuilt and enlarged. The rules also new lines to Elche that could connect this city with the airport and also with Santa Pola and Torrevieja.
Rolling stock
Trams 3800 Series of Siemens Duewag
By 2006, the former route of Alacant - Porta del Mar to El Campello by Siemens Duewag vehicles of the series 3800 was served, which was the transport company FGV borrowed from the driven also by her tram in Valencia (picture: see story). These have since been replaced by the Tram -Trains 4100 Series Vossloh.
Tram -Trains 4100 Series from Vossloh
The Tram -Trains Vossloh be used on the lines L1 and L3 and therefore occasionally described therein.
Flexity Outlook 4200 Series Bombardier
The FGV have given a total of 30 trams of type Flexity Outlook at Bombardier for their networks in Alicante and Valencia in order. Eleven of these pure low-floor vehicles with 50 seats are provided for Alicante - five of them have already arrived (April 2007) - the remaining 19 for the tram line 4 of the metro Valencia. ( :; Interior see the beginning of the article: right image) On line L4 of Alicante, these trains are already used since May 25, 2007 at the line operation.
Using complex modern technology creates a high level of comfort for passengers. Will appreciate especially wheelchair users and parents with prams who provided for them zones, the low-floor design as well as the automatically extending when opening the doors connection between the vehicle floor and the platform. Vehicles of the same family have been to Graz, Linz ( Austria ) and Lodz (Poland ) great success and are therefore more recently in Geneva ( Switzerland ), Brussels ( Belgium), Marseille ( France) and Eskişehir (Turkey ) were used.
Diesel railcars of series 2300 and 2500 of MAN
The distance between Benidorm and Denia (line 9) operate DMUs of the series in 2300 and 2500 by MAN ( Maschinenfabrik Augsburg -Nürnberg AG). The six paths of Series 2500 were rebuilt and modernized recently and got the painting of light rail Alicante (picture: see the beginning of the article, interior: right). In contrast, the two remaining original series vehicles will be 2300 soon retired and were therefore only externally pasted in rail design ( image: left).
Limón Exprés
The idea for the establishment of the Nostalgiezugs Limón Exprés ( Lemon Express) had the Englishman David AG Simpson. He saw parked on the old railway station Benidorm car that had been used at the time already partially and a little later completely abandoned stretch of Dénia after Carcagente now and should be scrapped.
This innovative project was successful: The cars were freshly painted. And from June 1, 1971 went to 27 May 2005 to the tourist Limón Exprés between Benidorm and Gata de Gorgos twelve built in the 1920s wagons Series CC -200 and ZZ -200. Both types of cars were rebuilt in 1987 and renewed. They were drawn from 1954-1964 built by the company Babcock & Wilcox locomotives series 1000 Especially with British tourists of the Limón Exprés was very popular ( image: left)..
The nostalgia is no longer in operation since the end of May 2005. The cars - particularly their wheels - are not in good condition; the train was derailed last several times. The car would thus be required before the commencement of operations. Due to other more important projects, such as the electrification of routes (see above), this is not to be expected in the near future.
Depots, sidings
Rail depot El Campello
End of March 2007 was opened after two years of construction, the rail depot in El Campello. The cost of this facility amounted to about 30 million euros. It is strategically well positioned: On the one hand, the depot is not far from the provincial capital, Alicante, on the other hand, it is also easily accessible from the long northern route El Campello, Denia line L9. Both the trams of the type Flexity Outlook as well as the tram - trains are parked and waiting in it.
Station Benidorm
On Benidorm train station there are several sidings. There are passenger cars and locomotives of the tourist train Limón Exprés and wait for their renovation (see above under vehicles). A diesel tank for the locomotives used on the Limón Exprés is available as well as a maintenance shaft and of course the actual station building with commercial establishments.
Station Dénia
The modern station building in Dénia houses except commercial facilities, a small workshop and a depot where an overnight train is stopped.
From the practice
Passenger numbers
Schedule
Until the opening of the line Albufereta Las Naciones the line L4 was a provisional timetable. The lines L3 and L4 drive of about 6 clock to 22:30 clock in 30 -minute intervals. In addition, there are on line L3 in each direction four more trips per day at peak times. Is on line L9 between El Campello and Altea an hourly service between Altea and Dénia a two-hour clock. It is expected that increased with the delivery of additional vehicles and simultaneously with the opening of new routes, the frequency step by step.
In the summer months in addition to the normal schedule used on the weekends at night the Tramnochador. These special trains on the line L1, but if required to hold at all stops of the line.
Announcements and music in the city railway
As a rule, can be heard in the city line L3 music. It is solely to classical music, mostly by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For example, sound the Variations on Ah! dirai vous -je, Maman for piano, the aria of the Queen of the Night aria and Papageno - A girl or young woman from The Magic Flute, as well as several solo concerts.
Again and again, suddenly interrupts a broken rising D- major triad the music. In line L4, it is, however, a falling G- major triad. These signals prepare the passengers prior to the announcement of the next station. All stations are announced in this way. Notes to the destination and interchanges will be staged in three in Spanish, Valencian and English. To be heard, for example: " correspondencia con la línea cuatro - Correspondencia amb la línia quatre - connecting with line four".