Soller train back on track next month

It’s one of Majorca’s biggest tourist attractions and dates back to 1912 when it was used to transport citrus fruit from the Soller Valley to Palma.

Around 1 million passengers a year hop on the train, which leaves the Ferrocarril de Sóller station several times a day and chugs through more than 20 miles of stunning countryside with staggering mountain views. It only stops once in Bunyola, so that passengers can jump off and take some photos.

It’s been out of action since December 9 while improvements were made to the track and sections of rail were replaced.

"Every year different sections are renewed and there are very few left to replace," said the head of Railways and Railway Works, Tomeu Bisbal, adding, "the works to improve the tracks are complicated due to the access and the machinery that’s needed, because of the width of the train track.”

1,200 metres of track plate have been worked on this year and the track plate at Soller station has been improved to make it safer and cause less wear on rolling stock.

While the renovation work is being done on the tracks, the workshop employees are also very busy, tuning up all of the locomotives and wagons and replacing any parts that are worn out by numerous daily journeys between Palma and Soller.

“The maintenance work carried out in the workshops is very laborious because everything is totally handmade, many of the pieces are manufactured in these workshops and those that come from elsewhere are made specifically for the train,” said the Head of Carpentry & Painting Workshop, Pep Orvy.