The above four views are of the Soller Railway in Majorca. This 3 feet gauge electric line runs from a separate station in Palma to the inland town of Soller. Opened on the day the Titanic sank, it originally served to bring products (mainly oranges and lemons) from Soller to the coast. It still uses the original wooden locos and rolling stock and carries over a million passengers a year. The locos look very Swiss, as does the street and roadside running section in Palma.
But still this line disturbs me. It should be offering a freight service and a few proper passenger turns, using modern stock. The timetable is bizarre. There are a few trains in the morning from Palma to Soller but up at Soller there is a gap of four hours (between 2.30 and 6.30pm) with no trains. This has the effect of stranding passengers in Soller (or Port de Soller if you take the tram). Now Soller's a lovely place, but four hours is too much.
I get the impression there's a sort of conspiracy between the railway and the canny residents of Soller - the railway abandons passengers to the shops and restaurants of Soller and Port de Soller. It's a bit like being cattle as the crowds, even out of season, are immense. Great for the railway, but I don't like being told I can't go on the platform, and the barriers don't seem right on a line of this nature.
But at least the line's still there, and as time goes by the management might 'get' customer care!
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