Ferrocarril de Sóller

Ferrocarril de Sóller
Overview
Type	Interurban
Locale	Mallorca
Technical
Track gauge	3 ft (914 mm)
Minimum radius	(?)
Electrification	1200v dc overhead lines, 600V motors
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 Ferrocarril de Sóller Catalan pronunciation: [ˌfɛrukəˈriɫ də ˈsoʎə] (English: Railway of Sóller), acronym FS, is an interurban railway and the name for the company which operates the electrified 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge tracks running between the towns of Sóller and Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca (stopping at various smaller towns such as Bunyola and Son Sardina).

The historic electric train takes a route north from the capital across the plains, winding through mountains and 13 tunnels of the Serra de Tramuntana, finally ending in the large railway station of the northern town of Sóller.

Work began on the railway in 1911 on the profits of the orange and lemon trade, which at the time was booming. For this reason, it is sometimes known as the Orange Express.^[1]

The famous train is now not only a mode of transport between these two key Mallorcan settlements, but also an attraction in itself. Single tickets cost €15 (2015), returns are €21.

Palma railway station

Palma Railway Station (Coordinates: 39°34′36″N 2°39′14″E / 39.57667°N 2.65389°E) is a subtle, relatively small brown brick building with a large "Ferrocarril de Sóller" sign on its façade, partly given up to a museum, cleverly renovated so that the large glass windows reflect the railway tracks to make them look as if they go on into the rooms. The station is just off the Plaça de Espanya and borders a large and popular park which lies on top of the underground Estació Intermodal. Several old railway buildings (one with a large brick chimney) lie untouched in the park and there are several train-themed play structures, each one a carriage named after a settlement along the line.

Sóller railway station

Sóller Railway Station (Coordinates: 39°45′53″N 2°42′54″E / 39.76472°N 2.71500°E) on the other hand is much larger, developed from a fortified house dating from 1606, Ca'n Mayol. The station is also home to the tram which runs from Sóller to Port de Sóller and (inside the building) a museum dedicated to the works of Picasso and Joan Miró.

See also

• Tranvía de Sóller

References

1. History of Sóller (see "The end of the geografical isolation" section)

External links

• Media related to Tren de Sóller at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Tramvia de Sóller at Wikimedia Commons
• Homepage of Ferrocarril de Sóller
• Timetable, Prices and History of Train to Sóller
• Video of Ferrocarril de Sóller on travelchannel.co.uk.