Tramvia

previous state

The northern line of the old narrow-gauge railway network which ran from Ademuz to Grao, and was known as the trenet, opened in July 1892. At the time it did not impede the growth of the city, as it ran through areas of land used for cultivation. As the years went by, the city spread northwards and the tracks became the thread of urban development. Eventually, however, the railway acted as a barrier to growth because it was separate from the city. The line was enclosed by its contours and could only be crossed by level crossings with barriers: 30 level crossings still remained on the 9.8 km of the line until the eighties. The old and obsolete line was closed in 1989 due to lack of profitability. The growth of this zone had stopped and it had become a marginalised peripheral sector, which was deurbanised and lacking in public services.

aim of the intervention

The main aim of Valencia Municipal Council was to foster growth in the north of the city, and to meet the increasing demands for public transport in this completely neglected zone. For this reason, the need arose to renovate the old railway line with an efficient public transport system which would be integrated into the city, have an average capacity and not pollute the atmosphere. Research into potential demand opted for the tram system, as it could not justify the building of a conventional metro in the short or long term, even though it would have a greater capacity than a bus service.

description

The tram runs along the old narrow-gauge railway line in the north of the city. It goes through the historic centre across the Bulevard del Pont de Fusta, past the Polytechnic University to the sea.

The new line, with its double track, has 21 stops with platforms (60 m long) which are level with the floor of the trams and have ramps at the sides (disabled access). The stations are set 50 m apart on average; the average speed is 20 km/h and the cars can carry 85 passengers seated and 136 standing. Trams pass by every eight minutes on weekdays, a time progressively reduced to five minutes meaning that 2,400 passengers per hour can be transported in each direction. The urban planning project improved the infrastructure network (drainage, water, etc.) and incorporated new lighting, pedstrianised walkways, street furniture, car parks, planters, paving and green areas (2,600 trees were planted). The most unusual element of the project -due to its strategic position in the city centre- is the design of the area of Pont de Fusta station. A boulevard, 700 m long and 20 m wide, was created, with large canopies, ponds flanking the central walkway to the platforms, squares, rotundas, landscaped areas. The station was treated as a representative building overlooking the River Túria.

assessment

The marked urbanistic intervention in the districts involved, has changed a residual space into a pedestrianised, residential thoroughfare, with the investment of 25% of the total cost of incorporating the tram. At the moment, this is a pioneering scheme in Spain and the only one to have been completed. It is an example of local environmental and social improvement, and also highlights the value of a means of transport, such as the tram, which does not pollute and is safe and efficient. The Valencia tram system is part of a plan to expand the metro as a way of improving, reformulating and extending the narrow-gauge railways run by the autonomous government, the Generalitat Valenciana. The project for the line took into account the urban development around the track, and has improved habitability and revitalised urban planning in a series of zones which had deteriorated and become marginalised because of the obsolete former railway. It should also be mentioned that the tram connects with lines 1 and 2 of the metro; both systems share platforms at Ademús station.

Albert García Espuche, architect