SPAIN: Line 2 of the Alacant tramway opened on September 4, connecting Sant Vicent del Raspeig with the rest of the network. Speaking at the opening ceremony, President of Valencia Generalitat Alberto Fabra said that the new route ‘makes the city much more sustainable, ecological and comfortable for its citizens’.
Line 2 runs from Luceros in central Alacant to Sant Vicent del Raspeig to the north, via the university. Of the 9 km route, 7·2 track-km from MARQ to the northern terminus are new, while the route between MARQ and Luceros run on existing tracks shared with the other three routes.
The line was ready to open in 2011, but a private operator reportedly could not be found. Eventually Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana assumed control of the line. The regional government has invested €100m in the infrastructure, with a further €50m spent on a fleet of 14 trams.
Between 07.00 and 22.00 services will run every 15 min, with frequency halving in the hour either side of this. A frequency of 8 min will operate during university peaks, which are designated as 07.00 to 08.00 and 18.30 to 19.30 in the direction of Sant Vicent del Raspeig, and 7.30 to 8.30 and 19.00 to 20.00 towards Luceros.
