Corridor to turn Valencia into a top EU rail hub by 2028

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Government commissioner Joan Calabuig said the Mediterranean Corridor will make Valencia one of Europe's top rail hubs, with high-speed trains to Barcelona due to run commercially from early 2028.
• Open-Meteo expects a cloudy day in Valencia city with a high of 26 degrees, while thunderstorms and a 68 percent chance of rain are forecast for the southern coast around Oliva.
• The Port of Alicante lifted its freight traffic by 23 percent in the first eight months of the year, moving more than 2.2 million tonnes of goods, according to Noticias CV.
• A total of 401 public rental homes, 91 of them in Valencia city, are now available from 350 euros a month with contracts of up to 75 years, according to Valencia Secreta.
• Valencia's fire service declared the El Saler forest fire extinguished on Wednesday after it scorched 37 hectares, as reported by Noticias CV.

Today's essentials

Corridor to turn Valencia into a top EU rail hub by 2028. Joan Calabuig, the Spanish government's commissioner for the Mediterranean Corridor, told a Propeller Valencia business lunch on 10 September that the rail project is a historic opportunity that will make Valencia one of Europe's most important rail hubs, with commercial high-speed service to Barcelona expected in the first half of 2028, according to Levante-EMV and Moncloa.com.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Open-Meteo forecasts a cloudy day for Valencia city, with a high around 26 degrees and a one-in-four chance of rain, while the southern coast braces for thunderstorms.

In Valencia city, expect overcast skies, a low near 20 degrees and a high of 26, with a 25 percent chance of rain and light winds up to 16 km/h, so a light layer for the cooler morning and evening is enough. Inland around Chelva the night is fresher at 15 degrees before climbing to 27, with cloud cover and only a 15 percent chance of showers.

On the southern coast around Oliva, Open-Meteo forecasts thunderstorms with a 68 percent chance of rain, a low of 20 and a high of 25 degrees. Keep an umbrella within reach if you are heading to the beaches south of the city, and glance at the sky before setting off.

Transport & traffic

• Paterna, the commuter town drawing new-build buyers. Paterna, a town just a few kilometres from Valencia with strong road and public transport links, is emerging as one of the go-to areas for new-build homes near the capital, according to Valencia News. For anyone weighing a move outside the city centre while keeping an easy commute, Paterna's metro and motorway connections put central Valencia within a short ride, and Valencia News points to its newest residential developments and expanding neighbourhoods as the main draw for buyers priced out of the city. If you rely on public transport, it is worth checking which of these growth zones sit closest to a metro stop before committing, since connections vary from one development to the next.
• Port of Alicante freight up 23 percent this year. The Port of Alicante moved 2,227,489 tonnes of goods in the first eight months of the year, a 23 percent jump that pushed it past 2.2 million tonnes, according to Noticias CV. That double-digit rise reaches well beyond the docks: a busier Alicante port means more freight flowing through the wider region's supply chains, the same logistics network at the heart of the Mediterranean Corridor, and it signals steady demand for goods moving in and out of the province. Government commissioner Joan Calabuig said this week that the Mediterranean Corridor will make Valencia one of Europe's top rail hubs, with high-speed trains to Barcelona due to run commercially from early 2028. For residents, the practical takeaway is a regional trade economy still growing as summer winds down, with faster rail links on the horizon.

What's changing for you

• 401 public homes to rent from 350 euros a month. Valencia Secreta reports that 401 public rental homes are now available across the Comunitat Valenciana, including 91 in Valencia city, with rents starting at 350 euros a month. The homes come with contracts of up to 75 years and reach as much as 160 square metres, so they are aimed at households after long-term stability rather than a short lease. If you are legally resident and squeezed by private-market rents, this is worth acting on fast: public housing pools like this fill quickly, so check your eligibility and the application window with the regional housing authority as soon as the listings go live.

Local news to know

• El Saler fire out after burning 37 hectares. Valencia's fire service declared the El Saler forest fire fully extinguished on Wednesday at 3pm after it burned 37 hectares, according to Noticias CV.
• Housing demands over former F1 circuit eviction. Community groups are demanding that the eviction of residents from Valencia's former Formula 1 circuit site respect their rights and be paired with housing alternatives, according to Valencia Plaza and elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana.
• Aemet says the rain is gone and heat is back. Aemet forecasts a return to settled weather this weekend, with the rain gone for good and temperatures climbing back above 30 degrees in parts of the Valencian region, as reported by Las Provincias.
• DANA judge faults Pradas over ravine monitoring. The judge investigating the DANA floods has accused former regional minister Pradas of shirking responsibility over the vital monitoring of the Poyo ravine, holding both her and former regional secretary Emilio Argueso to a duty of care, according to elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• A full weekend of plans across Valencia. Valencia and the wider region offer a packed slate of plans this weekend, from 11 to 13 September 2026, as summer heads into its final stretch, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Falla presidents vote on the 2027 Falleras Mayores juries. Hortanoticias reports that the falla presidents gathered at 7.15pm in the Palau de la Musica to start voting for the juries that will pick Valencia's 2027 Falleras Mayores, the senior and children's festival queens.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow