Mayors from Torrevieja and surrounding Vega Baja municipalities are in discussion about a tram line linking Torrevieja to Alicante-Elche International Airport. The proposal is part of the Valencian government’s €840M FGV (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana) Action Plan 2026-2030 and, if approved, would be the most significant public transport improvement in Costa Blanca South in a generation.
Torrevieja has long been one of Spain’s most popular destinations for international property buyers, yet it has remained curiously disconnected from Alicante-Elche airport despite being only 50 kilometres away. Getting from the airport to Torrevieja currently requires a taxi (around €70-80) or a complicated combination of public buses, making the journey unnecessarily awkward for international buyers and renters alike.
That could be about to change. Mayors from Torrevieja and several Vega Baja municipalities met with regional transport authorities in early 2026 to discuss the feasibility of a direct tram connection. The discussions are framed within the broader €840M FGV Action Plan 2026-2030 approved by the Valencian government, which covers 291 kilometres of new and upgraded track across the region.
While still at the discussion stage, the proposal has caught the attention of property professionals and investors across Costa Blanca South — and with good reason. Infrastructure investments of this type have historically driven measurable property price premiums along corridors they serve.
What Is Being Proposed and Why It Matters
The discussions involve creating a light rail or tram connection from Torrevieja northward to Alicante-Elche International Airport. The exact route has not been formally agreed, but options being considered include a coastal route via Guardamar del Segura and Santa Pola, or an inland route via Elche.
Alicante-Elche airport is separately included in the DORA III plan (Spain’s airport development framework 2027-2031), which signals central government investment in expanding airport capacity. A growing airport with improved ground connections would transform the accessibility of the southern Costa Blanca for the international buyers and visitors who drive the property market.
The combination of improved airport capacity and a direct rail link would effectively bring Torrevieja into the same connectivity league as coastal cities with established rail connections, potentially unlocking a new tier of buyers who currently favour more accessible alternatives.
The €840M FGV Action Plan 2026-2030: Context and Scale
The Valencian government’s FGV Action Plan represents the largest regional public transport investment in the Comunitat Valenciana in decades. The €840M committed over the 2026-2030 period covers multiple projects, including tram network expansions in Valencia and Alicante city, extensions to the TRAM d’Alacant network that currently runs from Alicante to Denia, and feasibility studies for new corridors including the Torrevieja connection.
The Alicante TRAM system, which currently serves the northern Costa Blanca as far as Denia, is widely credited with stabilising and improving property values in the towns it serves. Jávea, Altea, Calpe, and Benidorm have all benefited from improved connectivity to Alicante city via the TRAM. Extending comparable infrastructure southward to Torrevieja would replicate this connectivity effect in a market currently underserved by public transport.
Funding for FGV projects is drawn from a combination of Valencian government budgets, European Union structural funds, and central government transport allocations. The EU funding dimension means that projects included in formal action plans have a stronger track record of completion than those dependent solely on regional budgets.
What Airport Expansion Means for Costa Blanca South
Alicante-Elche International Airport is one of Spain’s five busiest airports, handling over 16 million passengers annually with routes to more than 100 destinations across Europe. The DORA III inclusion signals government commitment to expanding this capacity — likely including new terminal facilities, additional runway capacity, and improved ground transport.
For Costa Blanca South property buyers, airport accessibility is a key decision factor. The ability to reach your property from a UK or Dutch regional airport within two to three hours door-to-door is a major lifestyle advantage, and directly influences both personal use frequency and rental income potential.
An expanded airport with better ground connections would reduce one of the few remaining friction points for international buyers in the southern Costa Blanca. Properties in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, and Guardamar del Segura that can demonstrate good future transport links will likely command premiums over comparable properties in less connected areas.
Property Value Implications: What Research Shows About Rail Connectivity
The relationship between rail infrastructure and property values is well documented internationally. In Spain, the TRAM d’Alacant extension to the northern Costa Blanca was accompanied by sustained price premiums in served municipalities. Studies of comparable European coastal resort markets show typical price uplifts of 5-15% along new rail corridors in the decade following service commencement.
For Torrevieja specifically, improved transport connectivity would address a long-standing investor concern. The city’s combination of affordable prices, strong rental demand, and Mediterranean lifestyle makes it an attractive investment on fundamentals, but airport accessibility constraints have historically led some buyers to favour Alicante or Benidorm alternatives.
New build properties purchased now, before any formal approval or construction timeline is confirmed, represent the most attractive price point. If the tram link is formally committed and construction begins, prices in directly served areas will likely adjust upward to reflect the anticipated connectivity improvement. The opportunity for buyers is to purchase at current prices while the project remains at discussion stage.
What Buyers Should Do Now
The tram link proposal is important context for investment decisions but should not be treated as a certainty. Infrastructure projects in Spain follow a multi-stage approval process that can take years: feasibility study, environmental impact assessment, formal planning approval, funding commitment, tendering, and construction. The project is currently at the very early discussion stage.
Buyers should treat the proposal as a positive medium-term factor that adds to the already strong investment case for Torrevieja and Vega Baja, not as an imminent infrastructure event that requires immediate action for that reason alone. The existing fundamentals — affordable entry prices, strong rental demand, BBVA’s 5-7% price growth forecast for Costa Blanca South — are sufficient reasons to consider this market on their own merits.
To stay updated, follow announcements from the Valencian government’s FGV authority and Alicante city transport planning. Formal inclusion of the Torrevieja link in committed project lists (rather than feasibility study lists) would be a material development worth acting on.
The Bottom Line
A direct tram connection from Torrevieja to Alicante-Elche airport would be transformative for Costa Blanca South. The proposal sits within a credible €840M regional transport plan and is supported by airport expansion plans at national level. For buyers and investors already attracted to this market on its existing fundamentals, the transport discussion adds a further positive medium-term angle. Ready to explore Costa Blanca South new builds in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, and Guardamar del Segura? Browse our current listings or contact our team for guidance on which areas will benefit most from improving connectivity.
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