Light Rail in Alicante, Spain. Improving the use of existing railway lines
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2013
Subject Area
economics - economies of scale, economics - operating costs, mode - rail, mode - tram/light rail, place - europe
Keywords
tram-train, Spain, operating cost, demand, rail
Abstract
TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante, a unique, metric (1,000 mm) gage system, was the first Spanish tram-train. Later, it lost its tram-train characteristic (i.e., railway tracks shared with conventional trains) as a result of the evolution of the railway network. Nevertheless, the system still operates in a quasi-tram-train way, because the tram-train vehicle runs partly on railway tracks with a railway signaling system and other railway equipment. This quasi-tram-train operation leads to some specific design issues that are explained in this paper. The paper also presents a thorough description of the Alicante network, its development, its construction and operational costs, its operation, and its demand.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Transportation Research Board, Washington, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Novales, M., Cerezo, J.A.G., & Ortega, R. (2013). Light Rail in Alicante, Spain. Improving the Use of Existing Railway Lines. Transportation Research Record, Vol. 2353, Transit 2013, Vol. 4, pp. 69-81. Published by Transportation Research Board Washington.
