PROPERTY SEARCH

Linea Directa Home Insurance Cross content

Date Published: 17/11/2023

Frustration grows in Alhama over the disruption of rail services

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Ongoing work on the new AVE tracks have led to the suspension of train services for the last two years

Frustration grows in Alhama over the disruption of rail services While the AVE high-speed rail services have officially started in Murcia, connecting the regional capital with Madrid, elsewhere in the Region there is growing frustration at the lack of trains on the tracks in various areas, particularly in Águilas and Alhama de Murcia.

In Alhama services have now been suspended for over two years due to improvements on the tracks being implemented by the national rail network management company ADIF, and in the light of this councillors Miriam Díaz and José Otón visited the works this week. It was initially estimated that the infrastructure work on the tracks would last three years, but now, two years later, it is still predicted that there are another three years to go – in other words, no trains until at least 2026.

It goes without saying that this is a source of great inconvenience to those residents of Alhama who would normally be travelling to work - or for any other reason - by train to the city of Murcia, and the situation also affects neighbouring municipalities.

Frustration grows in Alhama over the disruption of rail services As a result the Town Hall has urged ADIF to ensure that at the very least a more efficient coach service be provided to substitute the trains, as well as doing their utmost to speed up the works which are still ongoing. The official Town Hall view is that the railway is of vital importance for the social and economic growth of both Alhama and the Region of Murcia as a whole, and that priority should therefore be given to ensuring that the trains run smoothly again as soon as possible.

Perhaps ironically, the scope of the work being carried out in Alhama is a result of the demands of the regional government and local authorities that the new AVE line should be as complete as possible in terms of infrastructure, and one of the key elements is a 1.9-kilometre-long viaduct which is the largest single element of the new track between Sangonera and Totana. The slabs of concrete needed for this viaduct are so large that they have to be made at the location where they are to be placed, and the columns supporting the viaduct are between 4.3 and 12.1 metres high.

In total it is estimated that 60,000 cubic metres of concrete and 11,500 tons of steel will be needed, and on top of this a new railway station will have to be built in Alhama. One stretch of the line, almost a kilometre long, will be inside a false tunnel built using the “top-down cut and cover” method in order to reduce noise pollution and meet other criteria relevant to sustainable development.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Alhama Today.

Linea Directa Home Insurance Bottom of Article

Address

Tourist Office Alhama de Murcia, Plaza Constitucion. Frente Auditorio, nº 10, 30840, ALHAMA DE MURCIA

Tel: 968 633 512

View Website

Oficina de Turismo de Alhama de Murcia

Alhama de Murcia Tourist Office

Alhama de Murcia Tourist information office is located on the edge of the Plaza de la Constitución, just a few metres away from the underground car park and the Town hall of Alhama de Murcia.

The tourist office offers free guided audiotours in English which take visitors around the historical sites of interest in Alhama. These be loaned at any time, although allow an hour and a half to complete the tour, and when loaning the audio equipment visitors are asked to leave passports or ID cards with the tourist office.

The office also carries a full range of leaflets for the archaeological museum of Los Baños, which is built around the historic spa which gives Alhama its name, and the mountains of Sierra Espuña, which is also an important area within the municipality of Alhama. Areas such as El Berro and Gebas have a number of interesting routes which can be followed and there are several picnic areas and good walking routes within the Sierra Espuña natural park.

The tourist office also carries leaflets for the many cultural events and fiestas which take place in Alhama throughout the year, including Los Mayos, Semana Santa, Christmas,the Romería of La Candelaria and the Auto de los Reyes Magos in El Berro.