SFM promotes the modernization of Son Rullan workshops and adapts the August schedules to continue to advance in the works

The action will strengthen the capacity, safety and reliability of the railway service and will make it possible to adapt the workshops to the growth of the network

Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) promotes the modernization of Son Rullan's workshops and adapts August's schedules to further advance the works. The continuous increase in the number of passengers, the increase in frequencies in recent years and the incorporation of new trains make it necessary to adapt and expand the workshops and the beach of Son Rullan, the main railway maintenance center of Mallorca.

To this end, the Governor of Housing, Territory and Mobility of the Govern, José Luis Mateo, accompanied by the Director General of Mobility, Lorena del Valle, and the manager of SFM, José Ramón Orta, visited the development of the works to learn first hand the evolution of a strategic action that will allow adapting the railway system to the current and future needs of the railway network.

With an investment of more than 25 million euros, which is part of the Govern’s ‘Illes en Transformació’ infrastructure plan and is financed  mainly with funds from the insularity factor of the Special Regime of the Balearic Islands (REIB), this intervention will completely transform facilities designed to respond to a very different railway reality from the current one and will adapt them to the sustained growth of the railway transport.

"The increase in passengers, the new frequencies and the incorporation of new trains made it essential to modernise these facilities. It is not just a matter of having more modern workshops, but of preparing the Mallorcan railway to respond to its growth over the next few years with greater guarantees of safety, efficiency and quality", highlighted the consultant during the visit.

The project includes the expansion of the main building, the construction of new maintenance pits, the electrification of all workshop tracks, the reorganization and expansion of the track beach, the renovation of the washing tunnel and a new electrical substation. The work is progressing at a good pace and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2027.

One of the main innovations will be the new automated rail ferry car, an innovative piece of engineering that will transform the operation of the workshops. It is a platform of 76 meters in length, with the ability to move complete trains of up to 160 tons, fed 100% with solar energy, which will automatically move the convoys to the corresponding working track.

This system will facilitate direct access of trains to the workshop, eliminate unnecessary manoeuvres and reduce by about 70% the time needed to place a unit in the maintenance area. This will make work processes more efficient, increase the availability of mobile equipment and allow trains to spend less time in the workshop and more time serving.

The refurbishment will be completed with new diagnostic equipment and technology that will strengthen the technical capacity of the workshops and improve the conditions in which the professionals carry out their work. All actions will promote more efficient maintenance, reduce incidents, strengthen the reliability of the service and prepare these facilities to respond to the incorporation of new trains and the future growth of the railway network.

"The goal is to achieve a much more efficient maintenance of mobile material. We apply innovative solutions that will allow us to optimize work processes and have more trains ready to serve. It is an investment that users may not see directly, but that they will notice in the form of greater security, greater reliability and less incidences, said Conseller Mateo.

Adjustment of schedules during the month of August

Like every summer, SFM will adapt the railway schedules to adjust the supply to the demand of this period. Since 2024, the usual service has been maintained throughout the month of July and this reduction applies only during the month of August, when the influx of travellers is smaller, unlike previous years, when, in addition to the reduction in August, it was also carried out during the second half of July.

This year, this programme will be available at www.trensfm.com and www.tib.org, includes some adjustments to reconcile the service with a new phase of the remodeling works of the Son Rullan workshops, maintaining at all times the standards of punctuality and reliability.

In the calendar of the performance, SFM planned to execute the most critical works of the intervention, which inevitably affected the operation of the service, during the month of August, precisely to minimize the inconveniences to the users.

With regard to working days, a similar service has been scheduled during the month of August to work the rest of the year on weekends, with some adjustments in departure hours and the addition of an end-of-service Palma-Inca train in both directions.

On the other hand, the same number of trains is maintained during the weekends, although the hours of departure of the services from Palma have been slightly changed, while the hours of the trains to Palma remain unchanged from that currently in force.

The refurbishment works of the workshops also require the establishment of single-way traffic throughout the month of August between Son Fuster and Polígon stations of Marratxí, in both directions. This means that during this period, all departures and arrivals will be made from the same platform at Son Fuster, Son Cladera/Es Vivir, Verge de Lluc, Pont de Inca, Pont de Inca Nou and Polígon de Marratxí stations.

"The adaptation of the timetables meets strictly operational criteria and allows us to advance in a key action to continue modernizing the railway system of Mallorca, maintaining the punctuality and reliability of the service. This is a temporary adaptation that will result in an improvement for users", explained SFM manager José Ramón Orta.

It has also made progress that the company works “to make this summer the last one where it is necessary to make adjustments of this type”. "In parallel to the modernisation of infrastructure, we are expanding the SFM workforce to provide the necessary resources to maintain the usual frequencies throughout the year."

The remodeling of Son Rullan’s workshops is part of the Govern’s strategy to further transform Mallorca’s rail system and respond to sustained demand growth. This commitment also includes the implementation of the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS), the incorporation of trains, the construction of Son Rullan's new electrical substation and the development of projects to expand the railway network.