Tram starts to see light at the end of the tunnel
Investment and improvements announced
AT LEAST another year of bus replacement services await commuters on the Dénia-Benidorm railway line, but the next step of the long repair project is about to start: regional government transport bosses have set aside €14.5 million to rip up and rebuild the northern stretch of the track.
Works on nearly 11 kilometres of what is known as Line 9 of the Alicante outer suburban network will start shortly, covering the section between Dénia and Gata de Gorgos.
Controversy continues to surround the Quisi bridge at Benissa; a new crossing is needed for safety reasons rather than preserving the existing historic crossing but construction is delayed by ongoing arguments and bureaucracy.
This action is part of many different technical initiatives being carried out by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valencia (FGV) on the Benidorm-Dénia connection.
New signalling, on-track braking and communications systems will be installed and the entire track replaced to 'improve safety and comfort' for passengers, 'enhance durability' and 'reduce the need for future maintenance'. Once work starts, it will take just under 12 months to finish, meaning the beginning of 2021 at the earliest.
After more than 20 years with no money whatsoever spent on maintenance, repairs or upgrades during the PP-led regional government's reign, the newly-elected socialists announced a major overhaul in 2015.
The following summer, the stretch from Dénia to Calpe was shut and the route covered by coaches, but commuters thought this would only be for a few months.
Even then, the track had been in such a poor state that, in places, the train had to slow to 30 or 40 kilometres per hour, meaning the journey from Dénia to Benidorm could take an hour and 20 minutes, arriving just seconds too late for the hourly Benidorm-Alicante connection.
By the time the AlicanteMarina Regional Train – confusingly known by its acronym of T.R.A.M. - reopens, commuters will have been using a bus replacement service for around five years.
A Benissa meeting was called by FGV, the regional secretary of public works, María Pérez, and public company technicians met with representatives of all local political groups. During the meeting, FGV stated that the only plausible alternative to finish the project of the Dénia-Calpe section was to build a new bridge.
FGV company accepted that its original intention then was to replace the old Quisi bridge.
However, in 2018, residents and then the council refused the plan due to the great historical value of the viaduct. FGV then decided to renovate the bridge at a cost of €2 million.However, was then found the bridge could not support the weight of the newly ordered trams.
FGV insisted that the new viaduct will be constructed with all the guarantees for the environment and cultural heritage, and complying with current legislation and all necessary technical reports.
The company stated it is now looking at an alternative plan in which the future bridge would not dominate views of Quisi.
Benissa mayor, Arturo Poquet believes that once the previous council chose to preserve the Quisi bridge, the option posed by FGV was the most viable.
Firstly, it gave legal certainty, because a council cannot go against its own decisions, taken in this case by the previous legislature. And secondly, the priority was the safety and integrity of the tram passengers, which was only guaranteed with the new viaduct.
The spokesman for Reiniciem, Abel Cardona, defended the decision taken in his time in office to fully preserve the old bridge of Quisi 'as it is a worldclass historical heritage'.
He added that once that decision was made 'we knew there was no choice but to build a new bridge. It is an option that we do not like, but there is no choice, because we must think about the safety of tram users'.
He also asked for a show of ''unity' across the council.
However, Compromís, warned that the project did not comply with environmental laws. Meanwhile, the regional government is attempting to reopen the line as early as possible. The investment in Line 9 of the tram amounts to more than €130 million.
Benissa town council announced on Tuesday that they have received a grant of €121,536 from Alicante provincial council a pavement leading to the remotely located tram station. The goal is to connect the town centre with the train station and allow passengers to walk safely between the two.