SFM to Incorporate Historic Train Donated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana to Promote Railway Heritage
The Govern backs the recovery of a unit identical to those that operated in Mallorca until 1996 for educational and cultural purposes
Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) has formalised with Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) the free transfer of a historic MAN 2300-series diesel train, with the aim of restoring the unit and using it for educational, cultural and heritage-related initiatives.
The train, which operated commercial services for decades on the Alicante railway network, is a narrow-gauge unit that forms part of the recent history of rail transport.
It is identical to the trains that operated in Mallorca from the mid-1950s until 1996, when the arrival of the first CAF 6100 units led to the withdrawal of these compositions, which were later sold to the railways of El Chaco, Argentina.
Its close connection with Mallorca’s railway history adds significant value to the transfer, allowing the recovery of an important part of the collective memory associated with the Palma–Inca service, as well as with the final operations on the Santanyí and Manacor-Artà lines. Considered an iconic model within the railway sector, the unit will now be preserved by SFM, preventing its definitive disappearance.
SFM plans to give the train three main uses. Firstly, it will be used for educational and outreach activities, including visits and initiatives aimed at explaining how the railway operated and how rail technology evolved over time. Secondly, the possibility of returning the unit to service for special journeys or heritage rail operations will be studied, provided technical conditions allow it. Finally, its incorporation into an exhibition or museum space is also being considered as a representative element of Mallorca’s railway heritage.
FGV’s Board of Directors agreed to withdraw the unit after considering it unnecessary for current operations and approved its free transfer to SFM in response to the interest shown by the Mallorcan entity in preserving it. The decision gives a second life to a train of historical value while preventing its deterioration.
Under the terms of the agreement, SFM has a maximum period of three years to develop the restoration and enhancement project. The company will be responsible for transporting the train and for carrying out the maintenance, conservation and technical adaptation works required, which will later be tendered as part of the refurbishment process.
The agreement has been made possible thanks to the close collaboration between SFM and FGV. Although the transfer is indefinite, FGV will retain the right to supervise the condition and use of the unit to ensure it is used for the intended purposes.
With this initiative, the Govern reaffirms its commitment to public transport and to the preservation of railway heritage, recovering a historic train and placing it at the service of the public through new educational and cultural uses.