The Balearic Government has revealed its latest plans for a new train service that will connect important parts of Majorca. The plan is set to revolutionise travel on the island for both residents and tourists alike.
The new railway will connect the island’s capital, Palma, with Llucmajor, a significant inland town in the south of Majorca. It is also set to pass through the airport. The project will involve the construction of an over-six-mile tunnel. Once the train service is operational, users will be able to reach Palma Airport from the centre of the city in just 12 minutes.
In total, the project will span some 19 miles, with around six miles planned to pass underground. The tunnel will link the Palma Conservatory – a building designed to function as a “city of music” – with the Son Costa station in the city centre.
The budget for the work has been estimated at 811 million euros (£678 million), more than 100 million euros more than the initial project.
The new plan has seen the route extended by over 1.5 miles, bringing the line closer to new urban areas and allows for future expansion towards Ponent.
Brits will have to wait a while to experience this transformational project, however as it is expected to be inaugurated in 2032, due to the complexity of the project. In fact, the works are not expected to begin until 2028, according to SFM manager José Ramón Orta.
“These are immensely complex works,” he said, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
2024 saw a record-breaking year for tourism in the Balearic Islands, including Majorca, with an incredible 18.7 million tourists. Of these, 15.3 million were foreign vistors. This exceeded the previous year’s numbers by around 900,000.
Palma de Mallorca Airport handled over 33 million passengers, a 7% increase from 2023. It also saw a significant increase in international flights, with 24.2 million passengers – a 7.8% increase.
The UK, Germany, and France were among the top countries to descend on the archipelago, making up 18.1%, 12.3%, and 8.8% of cumulative expenditure, respectively.