• The second of the Port Authority's 125th-anniversary conferences addresses issues such as the San Gabriel railway bypass and the connection to the Mediterranean Corridor.
  • The next event will be led by the director of MUBAG and will focus on the close relationship between the Port and Art.

Alicante – November 5, 2026. Second conference held to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Board of Works and Services of the Port of Alicante.

Under the title "The Port's Contribution to Alicante: Rail-Port Connections and Urban Integration," Armando Ortuño, a professor at the University of Alicante, analyzed issues such as the need for the Mediterranean Corridor, the extension of the Torrellano bypass, and the access of freight trains to the port facilities.

The head of Territory, Transport, and Environment at the Department of Civil Engineering reviewed the close relationship that the port and the city of Alicante have maintained throughout the centuries, paying special attention to the impact of railway infrastructures on the economic development and urban configuration of the Alicantine capital.

Armando Ortuño Padilla placed the origins of Alicante's port relevance in the Middle Ages, recalling historical references that already highlighted its strategic character in the 13th century. The importance of the port was again reflected in 1490, with the granting of city status to Alicante and express references to the relevance of its bay, its dock, and its mercantile activity.

From this point, the conference covered different stages of Alicante's evolution, showing how the growth of the port, the arrival and expansion of the railway, and the transformation of the city have been closely linked. Historical maps, data on cargo movement, and documentation on the development of railway networks have illustrated this evolution from the 19th century to the present day.

Special attention was given to the railway connection with the port facilities and its impact on the maritime facade. For much of the 20th century, railway tracks were part of the urban landscape, with connections reaching the docks and running through recognizable areas such as Postiguet and the surroundings of Canalejas.

The presentation also addressed the various proposals put forward over the last few decades to reorganize railway infrastructures and improve their integration into the city. In this context, Armando Ortuño Padilla reviewed different urban planning approaches from the second half of the 20th century, as well as the evolution of railway layouts and their influence on the transformation of Alicante's maritime front.

The presentation concluded with a look at the future of Alicante's railway connectivity and its relationship with the port, taking as a reference the future railway network included in the draft of the Alicante Structural General Plan of 2026.

With this conference, the Port Authority of Alicante continues to develop the commemorative program for its 125th anniversary, an event that allows society to learn about the history of the port and, at the same time, reflect on its role in the economic, urban, and territorial development of Alicante.

125 years looking to the future

The series of conferences organized for the anniversary brings together different perspectives on the history and evolution of the Port of Alicante, highlighting its connection with the city and its contribution to Alicante's development for over a century.

Under the title "MUBAG: an art space open to the Port of Alicante," the next event will be on Thursday, November 12, with Jorge A. Soler Díaz, Doctor in History, archaeologist, and director of the Museum of Fine Arts of Alicante.

Admission is free until full capacity is reached.