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This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
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| Alicante Metropolitan TRAM TRAM Metropolità d'Alacant (Valencian) TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante (Spanish) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 Tram close to Muchavista Beach. | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Alicante, Valencian Community (Spain) | ||
| Transit type | Tram Light rail Tram-train Commuter rail | ||
Number of lines | 6 | ||
Number of stations | 71[1] | ||
Daily ridership | 55,500 (2024) | ||
Annual ridership | 20,267,803 (2024)[2][AI-retrieved source] | ||
| Website | www.tramalicante.es | ||
| Operation | |||
Began operation | 1999 | ||
| Operator | FGV | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 111.708 km (69.412 mi)[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) | ||
| |||
The Alicante Tram, trademarked as Alicante Metropolitan TRAM (Valencian: TRAM Metropolità d'Alacant, Spanish: TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante),[a][b] is a rail transport network operating in the city of Alicante (Alacant), and its surrounding area, in the Valencian Community of Spain. It was inaugurated on 15 August 2003 replacing narrow-gauge diesel trains between Alicante and El Campello.
Like other narrow gauge railways in the Valencian Community, it is run by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV). The Alicante Metropolitan Tram network combines different modes of rail services: a partially underground light rail through Alicante city centre, a tram-train from Alicante to Benidorm, and conventional commuter rail from Benidorm to Altea, Calpe (Calp) and Dénia.
There has been a long history of urban rail service in Alicante. The tram service began on 13 July 1893 and the network was rapidly expanded to Mutxamel (1902), Elche (Elx) and Crevillent (1905) and Sant Vicent del Raspeig (1906). Initially, the streetcars were horse-drawn. From 1903 the trams were powered by steam engines, leading to the disappearance of the horse-drawn trams by 1924. The electrification of tram lines began in 1923. In the 1920s and 30s the network was further expanded throughout the city and was extensively used in the 1940s. In the 1950s, due to the high cost of electricity, trams were gradually losing the competition against growing automobile services and by 14 November 1969 they completely disappeared from the streets. Thirty years later, on 13 March 1999 the trams returned with the inauguration of an experimental route between Plaza del Mar and Albufereta that was extended to El Campello in 2003.[3][4]
The network comprises the following lines:
| Line | Terminals | Year opened[5][AI-retrieved source] | Service type | Length[1] | Stations[1] | Passengers in 2024[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Luceros – Benidorm | 2007 | Tram-train | 44.569 km (27.694 mi) |
20 | 4,207,050 |
|
Luceros – Sant Vicent del Raspeig | 2013 | Tram | 7.207 km (4.478 mi) |
14 | 8,187,254 |
|
Luceros – El Campello | 2003† | Tram-train | 14.404 km (8.950 mi) |
17 | 3,283,776 |
|
Luceros – Pl. La Coruña | 2007 | Tram | 14.609 km (9.078 mi) |
18 | 1,535,871 |
|
Puerta/Porta del Mar - Sangueta (Lanzadera Puerta del Mar / Llançadora Porta del Mar) | 1999 - 2013 | Tram | 1.359 km (0.844 mi) |
3 | 2,372,870 |
|
Puerta/Porta del Mar – Pl. La Coruña | 2019 | Tram | 13.285 km (8.255 mi) |
17 | 1,162,324 |
|
Benidorm – Dénia | 1987† | Regional train | 50.856 km (31.600 mi) |
18 | 1,129,470 |
† Notes: What is now L3 was opened initially in 1999 as an experimental service between Puerta/Porta del Mar and Albufereta, and was extended to El Campello in 2003. 4L no longer operates as of 2013 and instead has had its service replaced by L5. L9 was originally taken over by FGV in 1987, and was incorporated into the tram network upon its opening.[5]
L1 is a limited-stop service from Alicante city centre to Benidorm taking 70 minutes journey time. In Benidorm, it connects with line L9 to Denia.[6]
L2 starts from the city centre to the shopping center Plaza Mar 2, the General Hospital of Alicante, the University of Alicante and Sant Vicent del Raspeig, with a journey time of 28 minutes.
L3 is a stopping service from Alicante to El Campello.
L4 runs from the city centre to a loop in Playa de San Juan (Platja de Sant Joan) district.
4L ran from Puerta/Porta del Mar to Sangueta. The section is now replaced by the longer L5 that additionally runs through the shared L4 loop though the Playa de San Juan (Platja de Sant Joan). 4L was previously an extension of the old L1 built to facilitate passengers to the core of the city but due to the diversion of all lines through the urban tunnel to Luceros, the tracks were connected to the new diversions and established as 4L (Puerta/Porta del Mar - Sangueta | Lanzadera Puerta del Mar / Llançadora Porta del Mar), later closing in 2013 but reopening as a part of the then new L5.[7][circular reference]
L5 starts at Puerta/Porta del Mar to Sangueta, then following the L4 loop in Playa de San Juan (Platja de Sant Joan) district. It was opened in 2019, using former alignment from Puerta/Porta del Mar and Sangueta that was used prior to the opening of the city centre tunnel to Luceros.[8]
L9 is diesel powered commuter rail service from Benidorm along the coast to Dénia, stopping at other important tourist towns like Altea and Calpe (Calp). Services are subject to disruption due to engineering works as the line is prepared for electrification.
Lines L1, L2, L3 and L4 share the city centre underground section between MARQ and the city centre Luceros station. The Mercado station on the segment was opened on 10 May 2007 and the Luceros was opened on 18 June 2010.
In 2022, the network served more than 13 million passengers. The busiest stations were Luceros (2,110,810 passengers), Mercado (1,367,514), Benidorm (731,051), Sant Vicent del Raspeig (686,983) and El Campello (540,622).[2]
The underground section is planned to continue westward to Estación Multimodal (Estació Multimodal) serving the Adif station (and a possible relocation of the bus station). This was originally delayed, but in April 2022 President of the Valencian Government Ximo Puig committed funds to progress this extension.[9]
On the other hand, there are plans to extend the tram-train service in different places:[10]
Underground stations
Ground stations
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Alicante, in Spanish, or Alacant, in Valencian (officially: Alacant / Alicante), is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historical Mediterranean port. With a population of 358,608 as of 2024, it is the 2nd-largest city in the Valencian Community (after Valencia) and the 10th-largest in Spain. Together with Elche (Elx) and other municipalities, Alicante forms a conurbation of nearly 1 million inhabitants.
The Province of Alicante (, also UK: , US: ; Spanish: Provincia de Alicante, pronounced [aliˈkante], Valencian: Província d'Alacant, pronounced [alaˈkant]) is a province located in eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the 2nd most populated Valencian province, containing the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community—Alicante (also known in Valencian as Alacant) and Elche (Elx), respectively. With a population of 2,033,566, it is the 4th most populated Spanish province as well. Alicante is bordered by the provinces of Murcia on the southwest, Albacete on the west, Valencia on the north, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east. The province is named after its capital, the city of Alicante.
Alicante Bouschet or Alicante Henri Bouschet is a wine grape variety that has been widely cultivated since 1866. It is a cross of Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of the very old variety Teinturier du Cher and Aramon) and Grenache. Alicante is a teinturier, a grape with red flesh. It is one of the few teinturier grapes that belong to the Vitis vinifera species. Its deep colour makes it useful for blending with light red wine. It was planted heavily during Prohibition in California for export to the East Coast. Its thick skin made it resistant to rot during the transportation process. The intense red color was also helpful for stretching the wine during prohibition, as it could be diluted without detracting from the appearance. At the turn of the 21st century, Alicante Bouschet was the 12th most planted red wine grape in France with sizable plantings in the Languedoc, Provence and Cognac regions. In 1958, Alicante Bouschet covered 24,168 hectares (mainly across southern France); by 2011, plantings represented less than 4,000 hectares. This scenario is largely reversed in other regions of Europe, and in southern Portugal, where its wines are highly prized and frequently outscore traditional autochthonous varieties.
The Alicante Tram, trademarked as Alicante Metropolitan TRAM (Valencian: TRAM Metropolità d'Alacant, Spanish: TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante), is a rail transport network operating in the city of Alicante (Alacant), and its surrounding area, in the Valencian Community of Spain. It was inaugurated on 15 August 2003 replacing narrow-gauge diesel trains between Alicante and El Campello. Like other narrow gauge railways in the Valencian Community, it is run by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV). The Alicante Metropolitan Tram network combines different modes of rail services: a partially underground light rail through Alicante city centre, a tram-train from Alicante to Benidorm, and conventional commuter rail from Benidorm to Altea, Calpe (Calp) and Dénia.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.
