Tranvía De Sóller

The ''Tranvía de Sóller'' ( ca, Tramvia de Sóller) is a Spanish heritage tramway serving the town of Sóller and the coastal village of Port de Sóller, in the island of Majorca. It is owned by ''Ferrocarril de Sóller S.A.'' (FS), the same company operating the heritage rail line linking the town to the city of Palma.

The ''Tranvía de Sóller'' is one of only two first generation tramways to survive in Spain, along with the ''Tramvia Blau'' in the city of Barcelona.

Overview

The Soller tramway line, which was designed and constructed by the engineer Pedro Garau, opened on 4 October 1913 shortly after the inauguration of Palma-Sóller rail line, and started regular service on 13 October of that year. Electrified from the start of operation, the line is 4.868 km long, has a single track with passing loops and runs on narrow gauge tracks. It is a popular tourist attraction, especially since the early 2000s, as it uses attractive heritage rolling stock. In 2010 it carried approximately 900,000 passengers.

Along with other small townsThis refers to a town with a population of less than 20,000 inhabitants. such as Gmunden (Austria: Gmunden Tramway) or Volchansk (Russia: Volchansk tram system), Sóller is one of the smallest European towns with an urban tramway system.

Route

The line has 17 stations, most of them simple stops consisting of a concrete platform, with no buildings. Trams run at approximately 30 minute intervals from 07:00 to midnight, reduced to one trip per hour from 20:00.

The route starts at Sóller railway station, and the southern passenger terminus is just outside the entrance to that station. Trams start inside the railway yard at the tram depot, which is linked to the main railway. On arrival from Port de Soller, trams enter the yard to shunt locomotives for the return trip, but passengers are not allowed into the depot. Sóller Tramway and FS station map

The track passes through the town's centre, close to the church of San Bartolomé and goes through the main square, sharing the public road with motor vehicles. The line then follows its own route, through the northern suburb of Sóller and the village of Horta, crosses the MA-11 road, and then runs parallel to that road. Finally, it enters the town of Port de Sóller at the "Sa Torre" stop, and travels along the pedestrianised seafront to the marina at the north end.

The provision of passing loops enables several vehicles to be in transit between the termini, and in high season relief trams run closely behind the scheduled trams, and both tram sets can be accommodated in a loop.

Rolling stock

The rolling stock of the ''Tranvía'' comprises:

Gallery

File:Tram 23 leading 4-car train in Port de Sóller, next to the bay.jpg, Tram 23 along the seafront
File:0035-Sóller Marktplatz.JPG, Tram 21 near Sóller Mercat stop, passing close to the church of San Bartolomé
File:FS Tram Old Car.JPG, Old tram 2 at Marysol station (Port de Sóller)
File:0040-Straßenbahn Port de Sóller.JPG, Marysol station building
File:Port de Sóller 13.jpg, Old tram 1 along the coast
File:Sóller tram 4, ex-Bilbao, en 1979.jpg, Tram 4 with two open ''jardineras'' (trailers) in 1979
File:09 265 Bw Sóller.jpg, The Sóller tram depot
File:Trams de Porto-Soller (Espagne) (5476013460).jpg, Tram 4 on a bridge

See also

* List of town tramway systems in Spain
* Majorca rail network ( scheme map)
* Palma Metro
* ''Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca''

Notes

References

External links

* (English home)
''El Tren De Soller: Mallorca's Vintage Electric Railway''
on 'Tim Traveller' (YouTube)
Sóller Tramway at urbanrail.net: map, infos, pictures

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3 ft gauge railways in Spain
Rail transport in the Balearic Islands
Railway lines opened in 1913
1913 establishments in Spain
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