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Issue 704
12 - 18 APRIL 2013
Age of the train by Jack Troughton
Last years event
St. George to slay the dragon on Playa Flamenca St. George’s Day will again be celebrated on the Orihuela Costa on Tuesday, 23 April 2013 in Playa Flamenca . Read the full story on page 39.
HIGH SPEED rail links to the Costa Blanca are vital to the future of the tourist industry and the region’s economy – including the creation of jobs – it was claimed this week. The Valencia Government undertaking a feasibility study to investigate extending the AVE rail network to Denia and Benidorm, the two centres linked by the narrow gauge TRAM line. The high speed RENFE trains will begin to arrive in Alicante this summer after the direct line between the city and Madrid finally opens – making it possible to travel directly by rail from northern Europe. President of the Valencia Generalitat Alberto Fabra announced the government’s commitment for the project named ‘Train of the Coast’. Valencia is already linked to the AVE network but the mainline south from Spain’s third largest city ends at Gandia, yet for decades there have been calls for
the line to be extended to its historic terminus at Denia – a move that remains controversial. And the high speed spur between Alicante and Spain’s most famous resort, Benidorm, has been planned for a number of years. Last year the regional government announced a programme of engineering works along the TRAM line between Benidorm and Denia after claims it was to be closed. Thousands of people signed petitions calling for the link to be maintained, saying it was essential for both commuters and holidaymakers. Mr Fabra said a direct rail link between Valencia and Alicante was “essential” to open up new opportunities for tourism in the region. And he said the coastal train service would be fully integrated into Valencia’s transport system and the Spanish rail network – part of a protocol signed by central government, RENFE, and Valencia in 2011. Continued on page 6