The city of Alcoi has a long industrial tradition. Its inland location, on very rugged land, was a strong drawback to providing a way to market its products. To solve this problem, several railroads were laid. It was in 1893 –just two months apart– when the town inaugurated two stations: in January the narrow-gauge railway station that connected with Gandía and its port; and in March the station, also a terminal, of the broad-gauge line, of the Northern Railway, which linked with Jativa and the rest of the national network. Years later, in 1909, the metric line was linked with another from Cieza and Villena. 

But before, as early as 1873, different economic railway projects were being developed to link Alcoi with Alicante. However, they were all frustrated by concession litigation, and by the complexity and cost of a very long new line that would run through extremely rugged terrain, which multiplied the cost. It was not until the arrival of the Guadalhorce Railway Plan that construction on the extension to Alicante was undertaken. It was planned as a broad-gauge railway, thereby continuing the line that came from Játiva. In these works, the route to Alicante was also reconsidered, thus linking with the general line from Madrid at Agost Station, which saved a long parallel stretch.

And the works began at a good pace, with a huge development of spectacular viaducts and long tunnels. But the crisis of the Civil War and post-war period brought construction to a standstill. The project was abandoned when all that remained was the laying of the track and the construction of the stations.  

Other nearby Greenways

The new bike lanes that have been built in the regions of L'Alcoia and El Comtat also connect the north of the town of Alcoi with the town of Cocentaina, which is easily accessible thanks to this new infrastructure whose icing on the cake is a brand new 220-metre-long footbridge over the A7. The Cocentaina section runs along a wide dirt track in perfect condition that will take us practically to the very centre of the town, thereby extending our route, and adventure, by 5 km.