Work on the railway that was stopped in 2011.

Work on the railway that was stopped in 2011. | M. Ramis

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterArta02/04/2016 00:00
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All political parties in Arta are agreed that they still want the railway line from Manacor to be built. They are urging the Balearic government to do what it can, including taking legal measures if necessary, to get funding from Madrid in accordance with an agreement of October 2008. This agreement, signed by the national ministry of development, was for investing in major rail infrastructure projects in Majorca. One of these was the revival of the old Manacor-Arta line. (The other main project was the extension from Sa Pobla to Alcudia.) Work was started on the Arta line but was stopped in 2011. Two years later it was decided to create a green way along what had already been levelled for the track between Manacor and Arta.

The latest move follows a motion presented by the opposition Atra Independents at last week's council meeting. It received unanimous support. The mayor, Bartomeu Gili, would like the line to be combined with the green way, as he believes this would act as a major tourist attraction.

There have been many calls from the town for the railway to be built, and at the station there is already a facility to promote the Arta "brand" and local produce. The government, for its part, has said that its priority for the rail network is full electrification.