Arcadi's visit to the Beniardà level crossing

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filed under Corporate, Noticias FGV, Noticias TRAM.

  • The Minister, Arcadi España, made this announcement during a visit to the works being carried out on the extension of the station and the construction of the new rolling stock depots in this town.
  • The works, which will be completed in October of this year, will enable the platforms to be extended and three parking tracks and train maintenance facilities to be fitted out.

The Minister for Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility, Arcadi España, has visited Benidorm to monitor the work of expanding the station and constructing the new depot for the rolling stock of TRAM d’Alacant’s Line 9 (Benidorm-Dénia), located in this town.

During the same visit, the Minister announced that “the drafting of the project to remove the TRAM d’Alacant level crossing on Beniardà Avenue, next to the station itself, will soon be completed, and then the tender process will begin for these works, budgeted at more than 5 million euros and with a completion period of 22 months”.

“This project includes the development of an underpass for vehicles that will end the traffic problems that occur at this point of access to Benidorm,” explained Arcadi España.

In his speech, the Minister also commented on the current situation and noted that “Benidorm is one of the tourist capitals of the Mediterranean and is certainly also going through a difficult time, despite the aid that the Generalitat has provided. The sector has to evolve and move forward and one of the pillars to do so is sustainable mobility, so we have to be able to make the whole economic engine sustainable and respectful of the environment”.

Arcadi España was accompanied by the mayor of Benidorm, Antonio Perez, and the managing director of FGV, Anaïs Menguzzato, who also checked the operation of the first cicloparc, intended for free bicycle parking for users of the TRAM d’Alacant services.

Expansion of the station and new rolling stock depot

The works underway have been made possible thanks to the City Council of Benidorm handing over 5,534 square metres with a budget of 1.9 million euros, including VAT.

The Minister wanted to thank “the City Council of Benidorm and its mayor for the cooperation provided at all times and that is enabling the implementation of this new infrastructure.

This proceeding is included as part of the project to remodel the platforms and improve the accessibility of the stations and stops that Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) is currently developing on different parts of Line 9.

The Minister himself highlighted that “once all of the work is completed October this year, we will have improved accessibility and user conditions for those users who access the TRAM d’Alacant network in Benidorm”.

“The new depot will also facilitate maintenance work on Line 9 and even Line 1 trains, if necessary, with a greater capacity to respond to incidents and, in short, offering a better service to passengers”.

Regarding the works being carried out on Line 9, Arcadi España has emphasised that they are on schedule and that after the renovation works on the Teulada-Gata de Gorgos-Denia sections, the works on the Quisi by-pass and the Algar and Mascarat bridges will be carried out to complete the planned proceedings.

This proceeding, like the rest of the works carried out on Line 9, is likely to be co-financed by the European Union through the Operational Programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). With a surface area of 2,224.8 square metres, the new depot will be used to park trains under cover and to carry out quick inspections of the units, without the need for the units to travel to Talleres Campello.

The new depot equipped with three tracks, one of them electrified, will be equipped with a pit, footbridge, bogie cleaner, pneumatic and compressor installation and other facilities.

These facilities are expected to house the Class 2500 diesel units, which are currently in service on Line 9, and the Class 5000 electro-diesel units, which will be incorporated into this same line once the renovation work being carried out has been completed.

In addition, it is possible that some of the Class 4100 tram-trains that make the Line 1 journeys between Luceros and Benidorm may also be parked or reviewed if deemed appropriate for reasons of operability.

An additional advantage is the possibility of performing maintenance on Benidorm units serving on Line 9 in the event that there is an unusual disruption to the service or tracks are cut off due to construction work, in addition to having more space for parking trains than before the start of the works.

As this is a new construction project, the adaptation of spaces for locker rooms, offices and a multi-purpose or training room is planned.

Modification of the service due to works

Due to these works, since mid-January TRAM d’ Alacant has modified the service of Lines 1 and 9 to make it compatible with the improvement works.

On Line 1, trains departing from Luceros extend their route to Benidorm Intermodal, a station where you can change trains to continue your journey to Denia.

On Line 9, trains depart for Denia from Benidorm Intermodal and in the reverse route they shorten their journey, ending at Benidorm Intermodal. It should be remembered that the route between Teulada and Denia is carried out by bus.