The current Partido Popular government has made much of its plans for new rail projects in Mallorca. The two on which it has focused have been the extension to Alcudia from Sa Pobla and the line from the centre of Palma to Llucmajor. Both of these projects have encountered strong opposition. A third scheme, the revival of the one-time Manacor to Arta line, has little or no local opposition. Yet it has not been a government priority.
This now appears to be about to change. President Prohens said some months ago that the eastern region line would only go ahead if there were guaranteed funding from Madrid. There is now hope of signing a railway agreement with the Sánchez government, the minister of transport, Óscar Puente, having expressed his willingness for there to be such an agreement.
But even without a guarantee, the regional government has decided to move ahead with the Manacor-Arta line. Prohens said last week: "The Balearic Government is not sitting idly by while we wait for this funding. That's why we are moving forward with all our railway projects using our own resources."
Five million euros of tourist tax revenue have been allocated to the drafting of studies for the line. These are studies to revise those undertaken by the previous government. The Francina Armengol administration envisaged spending 120 million euros on the Manacor-Arta line, 30 million of which were to come from the tourist tax. The plan was obviously never acted on.
The current government believes the tourist tax funding was futile as there was no provision for the other 90 million. The mobility ministry says it will be requesting additional funding from this source for railway investment. But right at the moment there is no indication as to how much there may be for the Manacor-Arta line other than the five million euros, which aren't for building actual infrastructure.
In theory, this should be the most straightforward of the three projects. There is support in the municipalities in the east and northeast, while the route for the line already exists, as do stations. The main issues in the past have been organisation of track in Manacor, a possible branch line to Cala Millor and whether or not to go as far as Cala Rajada.