Torrellano rail bypass approved: the airport will get a train, but Torrevieja will not

4 hours ago

3 min read

Spain is advancing major railway projects along the coast, but Torrevieja remains outside the concrete construction plans

Spain’s Ministry of Transport has definitively approved the information study for the Variante de Torrellano, a new railway infrastructure that will change the railway configuration around Alicante. The decision allows the project to move forward towards a direct rail connection with Alicante-Elche Airport and the future removal of the coastal railway between San Gabriel and Agua Amarga.

The project provides for a standard-gauge, electrified railway designed for both passenger and freight trains. The second phase will extend the route from the airport area to Alacant-Terminal station. Freight connections with the Alicante-La Encina and Alicante-El Reguerón lines are also planned.

For passengers, the main change will be a direct railway connection with the airport and improved performance on the C-1 Alicante-Murcia line. Once the project is completed, the existing coastal railway section between San Gabriel and Agua Amarga is expected to be dismantled. The new infrastructure will also strengthen Alicante’s role in the Mediterranean Corridor.

But there are still years between approval and the first train

Today’s decision does not mean that construction is starting. The information study and selected route have been definitively approved. The technical designs, tendering procedures and construction work still have to follow. There is still no definitive date for the start of construction or for the full new route to enter service.

In April 2026, Adif awarded a €5.1 million contract for the design of the second phase. In September, the Ministry was asked to provide a complete implementation timetable. Transport Minister Óscar Puente had indicated 2028 as the target for putting the construction work out to tender. But several stages still remain between the tender and the arrival of the first trains.

Spain is building railways by the sea — but not everywhere

The Torrellano project is part of a broader trend in railway development along Spain’s coast. Over the past five years, new railway and tram infrastructure has entered service in several coastal and tourist destinations. In Cádiz, the Trambahía opened in 2022 with a 24-kilometre route, around 14 kilometres of which consists of new infrastructure. Valencia opened its new Metrovalencia Line 10, while Málaga extended its metro to the historic city centre.

It would therefore be wrong to say that Spain has stopped investing in rail transport in coastal areas. Barcelona is building a new railway connection to its airport, Valencia is preparing further tram extensions, and the Mediterranean Corridor remains one of the country’s major infrastructure priorities.

However, investment is far from evenly distributed. Major projects are concentrated around large metropolitan areas, airports, ports and existing strategic railway corridors. For some major tourist cities, the situation is much less favourable.

What does Torrevieja get?

This is where today’s news becomes particularly relevant to our area.

Torrevieja is not part of the Variante de Torrellano. The new railway does not pass through Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa or Guardamar. The approved project includes neither a Torrevieja station nor a section that could be considered the beginning of a future railway connection to the city.

There may be an indirect benefit. Improvements to Alicante’s railway hub, the airport connection and the development of the Mediterranean Corridor could eventually improve accessibility to the southern part of the province. But this would be an indirect effect, not a railway project for Torrevieja.

And this is the main conclusion. Spain is continuing to build and expand railway infrastructure along its coast. But Torrevieja remains outside the concrete projects that have reached the construction stage.

For a city with such a large tourist population and visitor flow, it remains one of the most visible transport anomalies on Spain’s southeastern coast.

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