Next year brings name changes to 21 metro stops and stations as well as an overhaul in the ticketing system and travel zones.
From January MetroValencia will have two large flexible zones rather than the current four rigid zones, which will make things cheaper and simpler for public transport users.
The changes, approved by the FGV (Ferrocarrils Generalitat Valenciana) on Tuesday, come as a result of another novelty, the introduction, from January 2022, of the new tariff system brought in by the Valencia Metropolitan Transport Authority which brings together the Metro, bus, local trains and tram in a single ticket.
General director of FGV, Anaïs Menguzzato, said: “With a single ticket, the Bono Transbordo, it will be possible to travel using four modes of public transport in a simple, comfortable and economical way, encouraging intermodality, sustainability and, therefore helping in the fight against climate change “.
New distribution of zones
The new system takes the urban centre of Valencia as the centre of two partially overlapping areas, called A and B, plus a third area, just for the airport, which will be considered as a third zone. Zone A covers Valencia city and those stops which are located in the l’Horta district, while Zone B also covers the l’Horta district, this being the overlapping area, plus its adjacent districts of Camp de Turia and Ribera Alta.
New tariffs
The new integrated rates which include Renfe Cercanías, local trains, will be the Bono 10 Transbordo of €8 for one zone, compared to the current €9. Another of €12 covers two zones and replaces the current rates of €15.50 and €20.90, and the ticket which includes the airport will now be €20 instead of €26.90 which it is now.
With regards to monthly passes, one zone will now cost €35 and two zones €53, the same as to travel to the airport. Currently the prices for these monthly passes range from €45 to €79.10, which is why Menguzzato has described this new distribution as “a way to build loyalty and benefit travellers who rely on public transport on a daily basis.”
Changes to metro stops and station names
Following a study by the Univerity of Valencia, 21 Metro stations and stops will have their names changed to make them easier to identify and to adapt to urban changes. The criteria used has been based on geographical, historical and traditional aspects, as well as giving preference to the local Valencian language.
The changes will be visible on the Metrovalencia network when the new Line 10 between Alacat and Natzaret starts operating in the first half of 2022, with all maps, timetables and signage being reprinted to include both the new names and the new line.
Changes by lines
On Line 1, Villanueva de Castellón becomes Castelló. On Line 2, Torre del Virrei will be Gallipont-Torre del Virrei, Benaguasil 1r changes to Fondo de Benaguasil, while Benaguasil 2, the station closest to the town centre, becomes simply Benaguasil, which will help distinguish the stations.
On Lines 5 and 7, Aragón will be known as Aragó and on Lines 3 and 9 Alboraya-Palmaret will be Alboraia Palmaret and Alboraya-Peris Aragó will become Alboraia Peris Aragó. Meanwhile on Lines 3, 5 and 9 Rosas will be Roses. In these cases the Valencian spellings have been chosen, as recommended by the university study.
On the tram network, Tarongers, the main station for the university, was last month changed to Tarongers-Ernest Lluch to honour the memory of the university’s professor of Economics who was assainated by ETA on 21 November 2000.
Meanwhile other tram stops are Grau Canyamelar which becomes Marina de València, Mediterrani becomes Canyamelar, Marina Reial Joan Carles I will be Neptú, La Marina will become Cabanyal, Les Arenes changes to Platja Les Arenes, Eugènia Vinyes becomes Platja Malva-rosa, Serrería changes to Beteró, Primat Reig becomes Trinitat, Estadi del Llevant will now be called Estadi Ciutat de València, TVV becomes À Punt, the name of the local television station where it stops, while Santa Gemma-Parc Científic UV becoms Parc Científic.
The aim of these changes is to help users better identify the stops and give more relevance to the suburbs, especially in the Cabañal and maritime areas.
Finally, the Marítim-Serrería station, where both the metro Lines 5 and 7 as well as the tram lines 6 and 8 stop, will become simply Marítim, keeping the Valencian half of its name and dropping the Spanish part Serrería.
The Valencia Report 