The team led by the engineering and technology group Sener, in collaboration with the British practice RSHP (co-founded by Pritzker Prize winner Richard Rogers) and the Valencian architectural practice ERRE, has been selected by the Adif-Alta Velocidad Evaluation Committee to design the new Valencia Central Station; this team brings together a group of highly qualified professionals specialising in transport terminals, with the necessary expertise to carry out projects of this complexity. 

The project involves carrying out the functional studies and design work required for the construction of a new key intermodal hub for the city. The works will include defining the construction works for the underground relocation of the station and its tracks, the station’s operational spaces (entrances, concourses, waiting areas, platforms and retail areas), connections with other modes of transport operating at the station (metro, tram, city buses, taxis and other active travel modes) and an underground car park. The solution will be compatible with the planned development of the Central Park, the ‘Access Canal’ project and the future through tunnel. In addition, the project will involve the refurbishment of the historic Valencia Nord station, which has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest, whilst fully respecting its architectural and urban heritage. 

The new station will be designed as an underground infrastructure integrated into the city, ‘weaving’ through the urban fabric with the aim of establishing a seamless connection between the new Central Station, the historic North Station and the future Central Park, creating a landscape axis with cycle lanes and pedestrian routes that will converge at a new Station Square. Train services will operate as through services, moving beyond the current dead-end configuration. In this way, trains will be able to travel through Valencia from north to south without having to reverse direction, bringing the city in line with the model of major European rail hubs and improving operational efficiency and connectivity. 

The architectural solution will challenge the conventional characteristics of an underground station. The proposed design opens up the station’s interior to natural light, fresh air and views. Natural light will reach the platforms, whilst spacious open areas visually connect all levels of the station. 

Sustainability is at the heart of the design, reducing reliance on energy-intensive mechanical systems whilst optimising the efficiency of materials to minimise the station’s carbon footprint. 

The proposal by Sener, RSHP and ERRE is based on five key principles: railway functionality, urban integration, architectural identity, constructability and operational safety. The station prioritises simplicity, efficiency and organisational clarity; strengthens links between transport networks and communities; creates an urban hub rooted in Valencian culture; employs a highly modular construction system that maximises prefabrication; and ensures the safe operation of the railway throughout all phases of construction.