Matas visits work on the underground

BALEARIC leader Jaume Matas, accompanied by Mayor Catalina Cirer, paid a surprise visit to the new underground station at the University, where the first of the six carriages which will link Palma and the university in less than 15 minutes has just arrived. The carriage was the first of six which will form part of the metro line's rolling stock. It is expected that the other five units will be on the island by February 2007. The carriages have a maximum capacity of 380 passengers and a maximum speed of 100kph.
The test period of Palma's first underground line or metro is expected to take place between March and April, once all the carriages are in Palma, and the whole of the line is electrified. It is probable that the line will be up and running before the elections as far as this testing goes.
However, the metro will not depart from the Plaza España but from the provisional train station in Calle Jacint Verdaguer.