Valencia Access Channel

The Valencia Access Channel project and the remodeling of Joaquín Sorolla station is in its second year of development, with 75% of its investment having been allocated. In total, 665 million euros will be invested in the most ambitious railway and urban development project in recent history in the Valencian Community.  

Therefore, after removing the old surface tracks and rerouting all rail traffic via temporary detours, work is progressing on the excavation of the 1.2 km tunnel, most of which is expected to be completed some time in 2025.

In addition, work is underway on the comprehensive remodeling of the Joaquín Sorolla high-speed station, with work soon to begin on the layout of 10 standard-gauge tracks and the elevated concourse that will provide access to the new tracks. As part of the station's transformation, there are also plans to build a new car park and improve the urban environment, and work on the office floor and the new commercial building is already complete.

The two projects, the Access Channel and the station remodelling, are key to integrating the railway into the Valencian capital and involve an investment of 500 million euros, to which must be added the rest of the complementary works, such as the civil engineering and safety installations in the tunnels; the progress in replacing the southern collector with the construction of the wall panels that make up its lateral structure; the gauge changer, pending tender, and a train depot in Fuente de San Luis; and the new control, command and signaling installations, bringing the total to 665 million euros.

This project includes integrating the access routes to the Valencia Nord and Valencia Joaquín Sorolla stations, contributing to the cohesion of the neighborhoods and freeing up land for urban development within the city. This will promote more sustainable, structured and smart mobility, with the railway at its core.

As far as the works on the access channel are concerned, the tunnel excavation works in the space freed up between Avenida de Fernando Abril Martorell and the Iturbi building (next to Joaquín Sorolla station) are being accelerated. 350 m of the total 1,200 m have already been excavated.

The tunnel is being built using the cut and cover system, which involves constructing the side walls from the surface of the tunnel, which is then covered by a concrete slab. First the side panels are inserted into the ground and then the earth is removed or the tunnel is excavated. More than 1,600 meters of walls have already been installed along with several sections of slab, and more than 60 affected services have been restored.

In parallel, work is underway on the new passenger service building and the new facilities building at Joaquín Sorolla station, where the structures are beginning to be erected. The project includes the construction of new platforms and the remodeling of the existing ones, configuring a 10-track standard-gauge platform to respond to the growth in passenger traffic that will occur with the improvement of the Cercanías commuter rail network and the maturing of the Mediterranean Corridor.

Meanwhile, work is scheduled to begin on remodeling the tracks and the elevated station concourse, consisting of a new platform above the current tracks to provide access to the new 400-meter tracks. This includes the installation of stairs and elevators between platforms and the concourse and the roof, a key part of the project.

In addition, since March 1st, the new pedestrian route between València Nord and València Joaquín Sorolla stations has been operational, with the installation of pergolas and street furniture. 

The Valencia Access Channel is a project promoted by Sociedad València Parque Central, financed by Adif AV (50%), the Generalitat Valenciana (25%) and Valencia City Council (25%).

The Valencia Access Canal works and the remodeling of the Joaquín Sorolla station have received European funding through the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. Funded by European Union NextGenerationEU.