Spain has placed major emphasis on rail-based metropolitan transport as a central pillar of its mobility strategy. Under the leadership of Arcadi, the Ministry of Soil Policy, Public Works and Mobility is steering a renewed push to modernize urban rail networks. The most visible development is the anticipated public inauguration of Metrovalència’s tenth line, following a long journey that began over a decade ago, paused during economic turmoil, and now reaching completion with renewed momentum.
In Alicante, the TRAM network is also undergoing visible changes. A steady modernization of the veteran rail corridor is underway as services extend toward Denia. Trains are already serving additional routes, with the anticipated link between Benidorm and Teulada and a forthcoming tram-like extension into the Marina Alta capital expected to debut in early 2023. This scheme aligns with the broader plan to integrate the region’s urban and interurban tram systems.
The commitment to Ferr لقب de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) is evident in plans to expand networks around the community’s two largest metropolitan areas. In Alicante, notable initiatives include the connection between Luceros and a future intermodal station, plus the extension of Sant Joan d’Alacant. While the El Altet airport connection remains in discussion, the practical, on-the-ground projects continue to feature prominently in public announcements and policy agendas.
These metropolitan and regional transportation efforts are complemented by bus networks and a variety of regional action plans. The initiatives span the Alicante and Elche metropolitan areas, the Central Valencia Region, which touches the northern edge of Alicante and southern Valencia, as well as Vega Baja. Across these regions, planners are focused on coordinating infrastructure with sustainability goals, refining transport systems, and ensuring spaces are managed with long-term resilience in mind.
Meanwhile, road policy has leaned toward maintaining existing infrastructure rather than opening new sections. Road conditioning projects aim to enhance safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Other measures include upgrading sidewalks, addressing flood-prone points, and widening lanes to facilitate safe cycling. In practice, new road segments have been rare, with the CV-865 corridor between Elche and Santa Pola standing out as a notable exception. At the same time, planners are considering population dynamics to avoid disruptive transitions, though several proposed projects have yet to materialize.
Additionally, Rebeca Torró, leading the Ministry, is expected to tackle another contentious issue affecting the autonomous region: large photovoltaic installations. What should be a forward step for clean energy faces scrutiny over potential landscape impact and worries about speculative interests, reminiscent of wind-energy debates from two decades ago in areas like Alto and Medio Vinalopó. The new minister’s team is urged to weigh environmental and aesthetic concerns carefully, ensuring that renewable energy expansion does not undermine regional character or trigger unintended consequences for communities and ecosystems. With these duties, the administration must balance ambitious green energy goals with practical safeguards, maintaining transparency and broad public confidence in the transition to sustainable power sources.