A state-of-the-art metro line will link the Balearic University on the Valldemossa road with the centre of Palma by 2008 at a cost of at least 91 million euros.
The highly ambitious project was announced yesterday at a joint Balearic government and Palma City Council press conference.
President of the Balearic government, Jaume Matas, said that the project, which for the most part will be funded by the local government with minimal support from central government in Madrid, is the key to the modernisation of the city and only the start of a metro service which may well be expanded in the future.
While receiving a warm welcome from political parties and commercial sectors, the announcement did come as a bit of surprise.
Matas had to admit that it has been the biggest kept secret since the conservative Partido Popular returned to power.
For years, the idea had been to lay a railway line to the University and run a metro from the airport along the sea front to Palmanova.
The first phase of the metro from Plaza de España to the university campus will run for 7.3 kilometres, 54 percent underground. Journey time will be 12 minutes and there will be eight under and one above ground stations, including four on the Son Castello industrial estate.
Project designers have explained that, where possible, existing railway infrastructure is going to be used.
For example, the metro will share one of the new railway tunnels being built until it reaches the city outskirts, branch off and run under the industrial estate before surfacing at the end of Cami Des Reis and running parallel to the Soller railway line to Son Sardina.
Every modern city in Spain, Europe and the world has a metro, Matas said yesterday, Palma can't wait any more.
He added that he hopes the Minister for Transport in Madrid will help, adding that Madrid has pledged 480 million euros to the metro projects in Seville and Malaga.
The Mayor of Palma, Catalina Cirer, said that the metro is vital for the future development, not only of Palma, but the university.
Balearic socialist party spokesperson Francina Armengol congratulated the government yesterday, adding that the initial idea of running a train to the university was their idea, but, better late than never. The small shopkeepers association also welcomed the project claiming it will ease traffic congestion around the ring road and perhaps encourage people to make more use of public transport and shoppers to return to the city centre.
Special park and ride centres will be built for commuters near key metro stations.
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