Soller train to provide underground links

SON Sardina, on the outskirts of Palma, is on the way to becoming a hub for train transport, thanks to an agreement with the management of the Soller railway company and the Balearic government. Agreement was reached between Javier Mayol, the chairman of the Soller railway company, and its director Miguel Socias, and Carlos Jover, the Balearic director of transport. It means that the Son Sardina station, owned by the Soller company but little used, will have a direct access with the future underground station which is due to be built there. The underground will link Palma with the Balearic University. Socias described the agreement as “satisfactory.” It was important, he said, for the two railway lines to share a station, and it would convert Son Sardina into “an important meeting place.” According to Socias, negotiations were simple. “We pointed out the lack of a connection between the two stations, and this was accepted,” he explained. Now, from being virtually unused, the Son Sardina station will become an important centre for the island's railway network.
Thanks to this, the management of the Soller railway said they had not ruled out the service catering for the general public once more, not just tourism. (When the Soller tunnel was built, many commuters started using their cars rather than the train to get to Palma). The Soller railway company is also planning to carry out improvements to the 30-odd kilometres of tracks over the next few years, to improve speed and safety. Safety is one of the company's key concerns, and the management is currently engaged in talks with the Palma city council over improvements to three level crossings which are considered dangerous. They are those at Son Oliva, Son Hugo and Son Pardo. Improvements will also be made to the level crossings at Santa Maria and Caubet, where the electronic systems will be renewed.