Long Train Running

The age of the train* is a question of the age of the terrain. Which bit of land to build on? It is the age of the terrain in respect of the proposed extension of the line from Sa Pobla to Alcúdia. When the decision was taken to site the line alongside the main road from Sa Pobla, the local town halls went into full aggrieved mode. The alternative route, favoured by Alcúdia and Muro town halls, would see a terminal sited by the industrial estate next to Albufera. Muro offered the somewhat spurious argument that such a location would be better for the coastal area. Alcúdia now seems to be supporting this, mayor Ferrer arguing that the number of tourists should be taken into account and not just the proximity of local residents, which is part of the reasoning behind the route that was decided upon. The central department (of "mobility") that has the final say states that the proposed route has a significantly greater proportion of the population within a hundred metres of its terminal area than does the alternative. This sounds like an impressive bit of population statistical justification, but neither this nor the number of tourists should be the determining factor. Wherever a terminal is sited, passengers, be they local residents or tourists, would have to get to it; that's the nature of rail terminals anywhere. The siting of the terminal under the favoured option has, as far as I am aware never been announced, though an assumption is that it would be by the Horse Roundabout. The alternative terminal, at what is the Es Foguero ruin, would also not be in someone's backyard; these things never are. No one would want a terminal in that yard anyway. Either location would make sense from that point of view.

One aspect that does not seem to be mentioned is that the Es Foguero option would be next to the new industrial estate. I don't know what plans are in store for the industrial estate, but it does not have to be something filled with industrial units only. The estates in Palma, such as Son Castelló, have shops as well. Has anyone thought that perhaps the industrial estate could be developed as part industrial and part quasi Festival Park? Stick a rail terminal next to it, and potentially you have a well-served-by-public-transport centre of business, entertainment and shopping, though where the latter is concerned doubtless the shopowners of the town and port would be up in arms. Whether though Alcúdia could sustain such a development is another question, but the improved infrastructure in terms of the road and eventually the railway might give pause for thought that it could. There is, however, the ruin of Es Foguero as a testament to the folly of over-grandiose ideas; the sheer size of the place meant it was not sustainable, which is why it became a ruin.

As the town halls are at loggerheads with the mobility department as to the siting, there is now a third option, which would be to take the line behind the mountain at the back of Bellevue rather than continue to, say, the Horse Roundabout. The Es Foguero site would be the terminal under this option. This all has the makings of an endless and never-solved saga. Our old chums in the enviro lobby, the pressure group GOB, are having their penn'orth as well, not wanting Albufera to be impacted upon. In Sa Pobla one has the distinct impression that the town hall would rather the whole project was dropped, which of course it still might be if Madrid reneges on promises for funding. Alcúdia's mayor Ferrer says that he will not bow to "ultimatums" given by the centre. What he's really cheesed off about is that Alcúdia town hall was not closely consulted when the decision for the route was taken. He may be justified; there again maybe he's just throwing his toy train out of the pram. This still has a long way to go; a long train running or perhaps not.

* The age of the train was the motto used by incoming Balearic President Francesc Antich when he won the elections last year; rail transport was his "big idea".


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Grover Washington - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0OQyG_h98o. Today's title - which American band?
Incidentally the last time I did a piece about the rail extension (26 June: "Came Down The Track And She Blew"), the remarkable Dimple Diamond was introduced to his now ever-growing army of fans. His "Runaway Train" now stands at 560 plus visits on youtube - a leap of getting on for 100% since it was first mentioned here.

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