Majorca's fleet of new electric trains unveiled

PALMA
THE President of the Balearics, Francesc Antich accompanied by the local Minister for Environment and Transport, Gabriel Vicens and the Managing Director of the SFM, Majorcan Railway Company, Jaume Jaume, yesterday visited the factory where the island's 13 new electric trains are being built.

The Balearic delegation spent most of yesterday morning at the Lander, Simulation and Training Solution SA design plant in the Basque Country which has developed the new state-of-the-art trains specifically for Majorca's expanding railway network.

The design and development project has cost just over one million euros but 60 percent of that has been covered by European Union funding.
They were given a simulated exhibition of how the new trains work before later visiting one of the two Construcciones Auxiliares de Ferrocarriles SA (CAF) engineering plants where the 13 trains are actually being built.

The total cost of the 13 trains is 75.8 million euros, with the bulk of the financing from central government as part of the railway accord signed between the Balearic and central government earlier this year.

At the main engineering plant, the Balearic delegation was taken through each stage of construction of the new trains and the first electric train is due to arrive in Majorca in December.

However, construction of the new fleet is proceeding at a rapid rate and both the Balearic government and the SFM railway company hope that the current diesel trains will be all replaced as quickly as possible.

The total electrification of Majorca's railway network is considered the next step forward towards expanding the service even further to the north east, east and south east coast of the island as part of the Balearic government's green and sustainable public transport project.

The railway network will eventually be linked to the new Palma tram which will first begin running from the capital's main public transport station to the airport.