CARCAGENTE TO DENIA 

Compania de los Caminos de Hierro den Norte de Espaqa

 CARCAGENTE-TAVERNES-GANDIA-OLIVA-VERGEL-DENIA

This line, which was 66km long, was opened in sections.  Carcagente (Carcaixent in Valenciano) to Gandia was the first metre gauge line in Spain, opened on 8-2-1864, and worked by animal traction until 1881. The Gandia to Denia section formally opened on 1st April 1884, although unofficial trains were running by 1882.

At Gandia, there was a siding connection with the Alcoy to Puerto de Gandia line, and at Denia a curve connected to ESA (the Alicante to Denia line), but this was only used for freight until October 1959.

The line was taken over by the Estado on 1st January 1942, and thus became part of FEVE. The section from Carcagente to Gandia closed on 11th July 1969, although much of the trackbed,  from Gandia to Tavernes, was reincarnated as a brand new standard gauge line, the Cullera branch of RENFE being extended to Gandia, opening completely on 28th July 1973. The RENFE Cullera branch itself was converted from another metre gauge line, the Silla and Cullera, which opened in 1878 and was converted in 21 days in March 1935. I have no grumbles with this closure and conversion of this section.  The Gandia to Valencia line of RENFE is one of the most valuable public transport assets of the region.

After the closure of the Carcagente to Gandia section, Gandia to Denia was worked as an extension of the Alicante to Denia section and it was therefore possible to travel by train to Valencia from stations along the "Trenet" by changing at Gandia.

Then, inexplicably, on 11th February 1974, FEVE closed the Denia to Gandia section, although Denia station remained in use for trains from Alicante. This has to be the most senseless closure of any of the lines described on this site, leaving the Costa Blanca to Valencia traffic to the coaches of UBESA.  In recent years, there has been talk of reopening the line, either as metre gauge or as an extension of the RENFE Valencia to Gandia line. Recently, the extension of the RENFE line has been the preferred option, but it will be a long time before this comes to fruition, if ever.

The two 0-6-0DH locos used for the current FGV "Limon Expres" were previously used on this line until it closed. Two locos, 4-4-0STs numbers 1 and 4, are reputedly preserved at Zaragoza.

LINKS

This is a particularly undocumented and unsung line, and I know of no links.

If anybody finds any substantial material on the Internet about this line, please let me know!!