Alicante Tram

The Alicante Tram, also called the Alicante Metropolitan TRAM, is a train system in the city of Alicante and the places around it in Spain. It started on 15 August 2003, replacing older diesel trains that ran between Alicante and El Campello.

This tram network has different types of train services. Some parts go partly underground through the center of Alicante. There are also trains that go from Alicante to Benidorm, and other commuter trains that travel from Benidorm to Altea, Calp, and Dénia.

The Alicante Tram, like other narrow-gauge railways in the Valencian Community, is operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana, a company that runs many train services in the area. It offers a good way for people to travel around these beautiful coastal towns.

History

Alicante has had urban rail service for a long time. The tram service started on 13 July 1893 and quickly grew to reach places like Mutxamel, Elche, Crevillent, and San Vicente del Raspeig. At first, the trams were pulled by horses. By 1903, steam engines powered the trams, and horse-drawn trams disappeared by 1924. The tram lines started using electricity in 1923. In the 1920s and 1930s, the network expanded more, and many people used trams in the 1940s. However, in the 1950s, trams began to disappear because they were more expensive than cars. By 14 November 1969, trams were no longer seen on the streets. Thirty years later, on 13 March 1999, trams came back with a test route between Plaza del Mar and Albufereta, and this route was later extended to El Campello in 2003.

Lines

The network has several lines:

^† Notes: What is now L3 started in 1999 as a test service between Porta del Mar and Albufereta and was extended to El Campello in 2003. 4L stopped running in 2013 and was replaced by L5. L9 was taken over by FGV in 1987 and added to the tram network when it began.

L1

L1 is a fast service from Alicante city centre to Benidorm, taking 70 minutes. In Benidorm, it connects with line L9 to Denia.

L2

L2 goes from the city centre to Plaza Mar 2 shopping centre, the General Hospital of Alicante, the University of Alicante, and San Vicente del Raspeig, taking 28 minutes.

L3

L3 is a local service from Alicante to El Campello.

L4

L4 goes from the city centre to a loop in the Playa de San Juan district.

4L

4L used to run from Porta del Mar to Sangueta. This part of the route is now covered by the longer L5, which also goes through the Playa de San Juan loop. 4L was an extension of the old L1 but closed in 2013 and later became part of the new L5.

L5

L5 starts at Porta del Mar and goes to Sangueta, then follows the L4 loop in Playa de San Juan district. It opened in 2019, using parts of the old route from Porta del Mar and Sangueta before the city centre tunnel to Luceros was built.

L9

L9 is a diesel-powered service from Benidorm along the coast to Denia, stopping in important tourist towns like Altea and Calpe. Services can be interrupted because the line is being prepared for electrification.

Shared Central Section

Lines L1, L2, L3, and L4 all use the same underground section in the city centre between MARQ and Luceros station. The Mercado station on this part opened on 10 May 2007, and Luceros station opened on 18 June 2010.

Utilisation

In 2022, the Alicante Tram helped more than 13 million people travel. The stations with the most passengers were Luceros, Mercado, Benidorm, San Vicente del Raspeig, and El Campello.

Future expansion

The Alicante Tram has plans to grow and reach more places. The underground part will continue west to a place called Estación Multimodal, which will also help connect to the train station. Money for this was promised in April 2022 by the leader of the Valencian Government.

There are also ideas for new tram lines to help people travel to places like hospitals, neighborhoods, and even to other towns nearby. These new lines would go to spots such as the Hospital of San Vicente del Raspeig, areas like San Blas and San Agustín, and towns like Torrevieja and Orihuela.

Network map