The Balearic government unveiled its new train service from Palma to Llucmajor this morning which will also stop at Palma airport. The cost of the project has been estimated at 700 million euros and it will be completed by 2032.
Balearic President Marga Prohens said that the route will be 27.4 kilometres long, of which 7.3 kilometres will run underground. The route of the future line will leave Palma underground from the Son Costa-Son Fortesa station, located in calle Jacint Verdaguer and currently a train stop for Inca and sa Pobla.
The project would go above ground to complete a route of some 5 kilometres until it goes underground again in a new section between the Mercapalma area and Son Oms, passing through Palma airport, to then continue above ground as far as Llucmajor. The route will pass through densely populated neighbourhoods such as Son Oliva, Son Fortesa, Can Capes, Son Gotleu and Coll d'en Rebassa.
The government has estimated that millions of travellers will use the route every year and it should help to reduce traffic gridlock on key roads.
Prohens did say that the islands needed cash from the central administration in Madrid to pay for many projects which they had on the drawing board at the moment.
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It's just another diversion by those in power, it will never happen, the tram never has and they have been planning that for over 20 years.
New track routes and Starion buildings were constructed on the railway line to Arta. Then, the funding was stopped !!!. Why do I not trust 700 Million to fond this new line. To take 8 years, more like 10 years. If funding has not been withdrawn. A project to reduce the car traffic is a priority.
BeachcomberBecause that old trackway is long passed its useful life. Just like motorways it is cheaper to build from new rather than try and convert old infrastructure to new use. My question is how many lines. Presumably minimum two. The traffic airport - Palma will be far heavier than Lluchmayor - Palma except for the rush hours. Let us hope they get this done quickly and efficiently.
It won't solve the car congestion problem. No one can, just look at London, Newcastle , M1, Manchester Malaga, Yarm, Leeds, Naples, Miami, Rome, Marseille, and the tens of thousands of other congested towns and cities around the world. This problem is not unique to Mallorca.
MyselfTrue, but all the nitty gritty will have been worked out by then, so another party would find it very difficult to modify or cancel the whole thing and would risk losing loads of votes in that part of the world.
What this article doesn’t mention is that apparently work on the infrastructure won’t start until 2028! There will be new regional elections before then (in 2027) so if the PSIB should win those it could well be back to the drawing board and the tram project. Just saying…
Why so long when apparently most of the old trackbed to Santanyi is still there waiting to be reopened and put to good use once again.
If it came in at twice that price I'd rip their hands off. All big infrastructures are always way over budget but when you realise the benefits that's soon forgotten.
So it will end up costing twice as much.
Good to see they are ignoring Can Pastilla. So much for the tram.