Majorca rail network

Majorca rail network

Route map Legend Artà Son Servera Sant Llorenç des Cardassar 1:10 Manacor 1:01 Petra (and passing point) 0:54 Sant Joan (two platforms one track) 0:52 Sineu (and passing point) 0:56 Sa Pobla 0:52 Muro 0:48 Llubí Enllaç junction 0:44 Enllaç (and passing point) Enllaç siding 0:39 Inca Inca siding 0:35 Lloseta 0:31 Binissalem Binissalem siding 0:27 Consell/Alaró Santa Maria siding 0:23 Santa Maria 0:17 El Caülls(for Festival Park) 0:15 Marratxí* 0:10* Pont d'Inca Nou 0:08* Pont d'Inca 0:07* Verge de Lluc 0:13* Polígon de Marratxí 1:00 Sóller to Port de Sóller Serra de Tramuntana Can Tambor Mirador del Pujol d’en Banya Bunyola Caubet Palmanyola (Santa Maria) Son Reus 0:13 UIB 0:10 Son Sardina 0:08 Camí dels Reis 0:07 Gran Vía Asima 0:06 Son Castelló Depot sidings Depot 0:05* Son Fuster Vell / Son Fuster 0:03* Son Costa / Son Fortesa 0:01* Jacint Verdaguer Plaça d'Espanya Intermodal Station denotes bus connections

The Majorca rail network consists of three separate electrified lines, which radiate north and east from Palma de Mallorca, the major city on the Spanish island of Majorca.

Services on the main line and metro both originate/terminate at the Estació Intermodal/Plaça d'Espanya station (Palma Intermodal Station), which opened in 2007. This vast subterranean terminus is also served by the islands extensive inter-urban bus network.

Services on the tourist railway from Sóller terminate at the adjacent surface level station on Carrer Eusebi Estada.

All of the lines on the island were originally 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge lines, but, except for the lines run by Ferrocarril de Sóller S.A., have since been converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge.

The lines

Services on both the metro and main line are operated by Transport de les Illes Balears. (Transport on the Balearic Islands).^[1]

Metro

Metro trains start from Platforms 1-4 at Palma Intermodal Station, where they interchange with services on the main line. A connection between the two networks allows access for engineering purposes.

The Metro was constructed between 2005 and 2007 at cost of €312 million.^[2] Line M1 terminates at UIB University of the Balearic Islands station, with services from Palma calling at seven intermediate stops in the cities northern suburbs. Line M2 runs east alongside the main line and serves seven intermediate stations before terminating at the suburban station of Marratxí.

On both routes trains operate daily from approximately 0630 to 2200, with a 15-minute service during the day; reducing to 30 minutes in the early morning, late evening and on Sundays.

Main line

Services to Manacor and Sa Pobla via Marratxí and Inca start from Platforms 5-10 at Palma Intermodal Station. This modern facility lies beneath the Parc de ses Estacions, which occupies land formerly used by the former surface level lines. The landscaped gardens contain several former railway buildings, and the original station buildings also survive alongside Plaça d'Espanya.

Today the main line runs below ground until just after Son Costa/Son Fortesa station. It is grade separated along its entire length, aside from some very minor level crossings in remote rural areas. The section from El Caülls (Festival Park) to Inca offers excellent views of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range to the north.

The line is double-track from the capital to Inca, from where there is single line working. To help enhance capacity, the line is being doubled along a 5 km section beyond Inca as far as the remote halt at Enllaç, where the branches to Manacor and Sa Pobla diverge. The line to Manacor has passing places at Sineu and Petra, but the shorter Sa Pobla branch is single track throughout.

Between 0545 and 2320 there are two trains each hour in each direction alternatively serving the two eastern termini, whilst a third service operates only as far as Inca. From Monday to Saturday in 2013, Manacor trains operated non-stop as far as Marratxí. On Sundays and public holidays, only two trains per hour operate in each direction, stopping at all stations to Manacor or Sa Pobla. In the 2014 timetable, four-car electric trains ran every half-hour between Palma and Enllac with two-car diesel unit connections alternatively to/from Sa Pobla and Manacor. A few rush-hour express services were also advertised.

In 2013 civil engineering work had started on the extension of the Manacor line to Artà via Sant Llorenç des Cardassar and Son Servera, but work on the proposed extension of the Sa Pobla branch to Alcudia had not commenced. By May 2014, there was no indication of any such work within Manacor itself which now has a relocated terminal station, adjacent to the main covered shopping centre. The trackbed of the former line past Cala Millor to Artà was either removed or in the process of being converted to sections of footpaths / cycleways. Most stations had been demolished although the one at Artà is now a privately owned shed. ^[3]

Ferrocarril de Sóller

Ferrocarril de Sóller S.A. is a privately owned company, which since 1912 has operated a daily train service along the 27.3 km line between Palma de Mallorca and Sóller. From 1913 it has also run the Tranvía de Sóller tram service along the 4.9 km route from Sóller to the Port of Sóller. The track for both services is 3 ft (914 mm).

See also

• Tranvía de Sóller

References

1. "Transport de les Illes Balears TIB". Retrieved 2008-12-29.
2. "Diario de Mallorca - El precio final del metro subió 77 millones sobre lo reconocido" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2008-12-29.
3. Visit to island, 3-10 May

Coordinates: 39°34′34″N 2°39′16″E / 39.57622°N 2.65440°E