Line 9 pledges kept

DOUBTS surrounding the regional government’s commitment to the Benidorm-Denia trenet line are gradually fading.

When Line 9’s Calpe-Denia section was closed down on safety grounds last June, there were fears that this could be the first step towards definitively shutting it down.  

This revived 2012 rumours that the government and regional rail operator FGV would happily divest themselves of the under-performing line.

Instead FGV has now allocated the €3.7 million contract to renovate five Line 9 stations and improve communications on the Calpe-Denia section.

Work at Benidorm, Alfaz, Teulada, Gata de Gorgos and Denia stations is due to commence this month.  Platforms and station buildings will be restored and tracks and sidings renovated.

Parallel to the infrastructure project an Automatic Block System and Automatic Train Protection will be installed on the Calpe-Denia track.

The Line 9 work is in line with the programme set out by the Generalitat’s Housing ministry Maria Jose Salvador and in the next phase, renovating the track between Calpe and Teulada will be put out to tender in January 2017.