The Metrovalencia transit network will take several months to fully recover and resume service to certain municipalities in Valencia‘s metropolitan area, especially in the southern region, due to severe damage caused by recent torrential rains. The network will gradually reopen, but full service restoration is not expected in the near term, according to sources.
In the immediate future, tram service is expected to resume within approximately three weeks. However, services on Metro lines L3, L5, and L9—connecting Rafelbunyol to Manises Airport, MarÃtim-SerrerÃa to the airport, and Alboraia to Riba-Roja del Turia, respectively—could take up to three months to reopen, depending on repairs to the Centralized Traffic Control Center, which sustained heavy storm damage. Authorities are also working to find a temporary location for this control hub.
Lines 1 and 2, which link southern Valencia municipalities, were hit hardest, with certain sections rendered unusable. Given the extensive damage, no timeline has been set for restoring service along these lines. Initial efforts will focus on reopening segments from LlÃria to Valencia on Line 1 and from Bétera to the city. Later phases aim to reconnect Torrent Avinguda and Castelló (Ribera Alta) to the central network.
Access to the Valencia Sud complex is restricted to cleaning and security personnel engaged in the initial restoration work. Employees whose vehicles were left at the complex will be notified once they are allowed to retrieve them, with photographs of their cars provided next week. The complex is under 24-hour surveillance, and updates on reentry will be provided as restoration advances.
This isn’t the first time Metrovalencia’s Line 1 has faced disruptions due to natural disasters. Over 42 years ago, on October 20, 1982, the Tous Dam in Ribera Alta burst, causing widespread destruction. That incident severely impacted the then-called Narrow-Gauge Railway (Feve), halting service for an extended period, especially in Castelló due to the collapse of the Júcar River bridge connecting it with Alberic.
The recovery process is underway with lighting and cleaning operations, and authorities are committed to restoring full service as efficiently as possible.
