DESCRIPTION
Valencia metro derives from a former regional narrow-gauge railway network (the so-called "El Trenet de Valencia", opened in 1888); in years '80 s it was decided to connect two of the northern railways lines with the one in the south by a tunnel passing through the city centre, in order to introduce a properly said metro service in this portion of network.
The first metro section (Betera/Lliria-Empalme-Hospital-Villanueva de Castellon) shared by Line 1 and Line 2) opened in 1988 linking (as said before) the existing northern and southern railways tracks with a new urban metro segment (Empalme-Torrent, including a tunnel between Empalme and S. Isidre). This first section was extended in 2004 with a soth-western branch (Torrent-Torrent Avinguda, belonging to Line 2).
The first section of Line 3 (currently shared with Line 9, that was introduced in 2015) opened in 1995 (Alameda-Alboraya Palmaret-Rafelbunyol, along an elder regional railway alignment to Rafelbunyol). Lines 3 and 9 were extended in 1998 (Alameda-Avenida del Cid), 1999 (Avenida del Cid-Mislata Almassil) and 2007 (Mislata Almassil-Airport). The common section of Lines 3/9 branches at Rosas towards the Airport (Line 3) and towards Riba roja de Turia (Rosas-Riba roja de Turia extension was opened in 2015, belonging to Line 9).
Line 5 shares part of the track with Line 3 (Aeroport-Alameda, see above); its eastern section was extended in in 2003 (Alameda-Ayora) and 2007 (Ayora-Maritim Serreria).
Line 7 (introduced in 2015) runs from Torrent Avinguda to Maritim Serreria, sharing part of its track with Lines 1/2 (Torrent-Alameda) and Line 5 (Alameda-Maritim Serreria).