Benalúa, the forgotten station 

With more than three thousand years of history, Alicante is a city that has been progressing throughout its history and much of his fault is due to the arrival of the railroad to the city in the 19th century, through the Union of Alicante with the capital of Spain, Madrid.

But while this line linked the Alicante coast with the Centre of Spain, another line linking Alicante with even more specifically, with Murcia and the Mediterranean corridor.

On May 11, 1884, opens this last line. The journey was already necessary and in turn brought economic wealth to the city, the year 1885 begins to build a new station, the station Alicante - Murcia, most commonly known as "Benalúa station", as is the Alicante district which is situated.

Finished already, this was put into operation in 1888, when using temporary facilities of wood, opened this station that looked so of magnificent in what were his years of life:

 

Since then, is the time in which trains were arriving at the station and on the basis of this course to the South, impregnating the surroundings with the characteristic smoke produced by those impressive and beautiful steam engines.

With the emblematic value as a modern city gate which became the main stations (paper in Alicante assumed the Madrid station), it was more modest nature, although few transformations on its facade have made it possible to keep it until now almost equal its initial conception.

The station has a typology of plant as terminus of line, having the building U-shaped, taking advantage of the concavity to situate the arrival of trains hangar.

 

The central body of the building, aimed at travellers, is faced at the end of the tracks, has two floors and is resolved in a single plane, subdivided by the use of pilasters, and with a few holes of different size according to position on the floor and function to develop and shape.

The constructive factory is stony, stylistically solving within an eclectic line reflects elements of diverse origin.

 

Him out two lateral plant arms parallel to the tracks and that they were used as stores and services, proof

of this is found in the old signs at the top of the old entries.

 

In order to understand the impact that the rail stations were in the society of the time, we think that the average citizen foot lived in a city without electricity or essential services, and their only means of transport was the horse that took days to cover distances. After the arrival of the railway the same distances would take to travel just a few hours.

 

At the opening of the building you can see its majestic façade main and its entry several parked carriages.

He had come to modernity and the future, and this advance would be the first in a long chain.

But soon the thing cambiaría…

Time was passing and passing and trains still arrived at the station to enrich the area and especially to the city's port. This commercial boom of the port and its major development was that prompted the

entrance of the tracks in the interior of the West Pier assuming so regional trains connecting Alicante to Murcia to concentrate with the rest station of Madrid.

The lack of use, led the last commercial train to leave from here in 1974, 90 years after the inaugural journey of the line. Later during a short period of time, in 1982 the station re-entered operation by severe floods suffered by the city, and who left the station of Madrid unusable.

Only 10 years after the departure of the last commercial train, the Council decided to install the commemorative plaque at the centenary of this railway line.

 

Since then, its use was non-existent and the port employed developing Beach and the area of classification of trains for organizing and parking the freight wagons.

 

 

 

Once explained his story, we proceed to visit the interior, where it should be noted the impressive interior stairs while little beyond inside it could save, that oblivion and the hand of the indigent made the rest.

 

In this state we have old bath in the interior of the station.

 

In addition to observe some painted a little egocéntricas…

 

By luck and after a lot commitment and take long behind various associations for not definitively bury the building of the station, ADIF ceded for 30 years building to the Foreign Ministry to house the headquarters of the Mediterranean House. Therefore, a building during a long period of time condemned to oblivion, at the end did not arrive until the end of the light and today recovers life that should never lose.

To become an important cultural centre, in his rehabilitation has forced to keep the metallic structures, as well as the main façade. The building will go to possess as well as the offices of the institution, a multi-purpose exhibition hall, an auditorium with a capacity to host conferences, forums, seminars, symposia, discussions, screenings and an open-air auditorium.

This is how it looks today its main façade.

POZE NOI