Paul Steane's Photography Pages

Friday 20th January 2023 Flight from Manchester to Alicante (Alacant), in position to cover the new high speed Avant services between Alacant and Murcia. Then from Alacant to Albacete: the west curve at La Encina only has two trains each way per day.
Route: Home (dep 04:02) - taxi to Manchester Airport T3 (arr 04:16); Manchester (MAN) T3 06:30 (Ryanair FR9073; EI-ENM B737-8AS; gate 44): MAN Push-back at 06:36, take-off 06:48 from runway 23L; ALC landed 09:58 on runway 28, on stand 10:04, Alicante Airport (ALC) booked 10:10; Alacant Aeropuerto 10:40 (Bus C-6) - Alacant Estación de Autobuses 10:58; Alacant Terminal 12:50 (Avant 33125 RENFE EMU 104020) - via Monforte del Cid east-south curve, standard gauge route: left track - east to south single curve - cross to right track - Elche AV north side loop - Callosa de Segura-Cox AV north side loop - then cross to left track, right not yet in use - Orihuela MH left track - Beniel left track - Murcia del Carmen 13:43; 15:00 (Avant 33157 RENFE EMU 104020) - via Monforte del Cid south-east curve, standard gauge route: via Beniel right track - Orihuela AV right track – Callosa and Elche right (south) side loops - delayed before triangle - right hand track - Alicante Terminal 15:52; 17:00 (MD18083 RENFE EMU 449012) - via broad gauge route, direct Caudete – La Encina - Albacete Los Llanos 18:36 (arr 22 late). Overnight: Hotel Castilla, Paseo de la Cuba 3, 02001 Albacete (200 m from station).