THE FGV railway network has been advised to discard privatisation plans for Alicante’s Line Two

The project is “totally inadvisable,” warned consultants, Improven.

Regional government proposals mean that a public and private operator would share some of the same stretches of track and services. But this could bring coordination problems affecting passengers, predicted the consultants, who were brought in to advise on reorganising the network. 

It was also likely that overheads would rise, they said, and Alicante’s TRAM network already has too few passengers and a huge debt of €341.7 million.

Admitting another company would be unfeasible.

If the Valencian government wants to introduce a private company, it should allow it to run the entire network, Improven concluded.

The future of Line Two between Alicante city and Benidorm does not hang in the balance but the outlook for Line Nine which links Benidorm and Denia is less assured.

Benidorm council has sent the regional government a petition with 1,600 signatures, calling for the line to remain.

The line is an important tourist attraction, the town hall said, with a daily average of 4,800 passengers.

A TOTAL of 471,906 passengers used Alicante’s tram last month.

Line One between the Plaza de los Luceros terminus in Alicante city and Benidorm was the busiest with 167,644 passengers. Next, with 159,398 passengers was Line Three between Luceros and Campello. But Line Four connecting Luceros and Plaza La Coruña inside the city had fewer with 82,588. Line Nine between Benidorm and Denia had the fewest, with 62,276.

Isabel Bonig, head of the regional government’s infrastructure department, has reassured Marina Alta and Baja mayors that, contrary to rumours, Line Nine will not close. Not only is it to remain open but the Generalitat plans to spend €3.75million on improvements, she said, particularly the stretch between La Olla in Altea and Calpe, often subjected to minor landslides.

LAST July, Alicante residents used the city’s two TRAM lines for work as well as play. Sixty per cent of TRAM passengers were female and 40 per cent male with an average age of 39.6 years, revealed a survey by the FGV railway system between Alicante city and Denia.

Just over half  - 50.9 per cent – were salaried workers  and 16.8 per cent were students.  A further 12.5 per cent were out of work while 9.6 per cent were pensioners.

Overall, the FGV service between Alicante city and Denia received 80 per cent approval, with the city’s Line 4 TRAM line between Luceros and Plaza de la Coruña receiving the highest ranking of 84 per cent.