Construction of a new train shed to house high-speed AVE services from Madrid is now underway at Alicante station.
The project is part of the second phase of the Madrid-Levante high-speed line.
The 3,500 square metre L-shaped extension will connect to the existing station concourse, allowing high-speed services to continue on to the station from Valencia.
In 2010, the Madrid-Cuenca-Valencia section of the route opened, cutting the 391 km journey between Madrid and Valencia to just an hour and a half.
The EU has so far supported construction with 1.96 billion euros.