459,138 m2 in expropriations for the Manacor-Artà train project.

Only the SFM (Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca) know the full details of the whole project. The local councils only have partial information.

The Anti-Train Association has been to consult the Manacor-Artà train project. According to the BOIB published 14 of July, 2009 by the Consejería de Movilidad y Ordenación del Territorio, details will be on public display 15 days from said date. Objections can be made until 30 of July. They need 459,138 square metres in order to construct there-opening project for the Manacor-Artà train.

Of these 459,138 square metres that they are going to expropriate, 396,803 m2 (86,42%) are from rural areas, 12,516 m2 (2,43%) urban, 42,337 m2 affect roads and 482 m2 will affect public waterways and irrigation networks.

This information is only available from the SFM (Serveis Ferroviarios de Mallorca). Even though the BOIB clearly states that it is available from local councils, they only have partial information. They only have maps with expropriations. They are not aware of the reasons for the changes to the expropriations or of the criteria used nor can you raise or see existing objections at the council offices. Also the new project has been published without first responding to previous objections.

The strong points of the Plan de transportes ferroviarios have become weak points.

One of the only two strong points of the Plan de Transportes Ferroviarios del Govern Balear was that one of the reasons to re-open the Artà line was that they wouldn’t have to expropriate. Now we know that they have to expropriate 3 times more land than is presently owned by the SFM.

The other strong point was the convenience to tourism, something else that doesn’t work simply because the line doesn’t reach Cala Millor and we don’t even know whether it will reach Cala Ratjada yet because the viability study hasn’t yet been realised.

Sant Llorenç, the area most affected by the expropriations and by work areas in Son Carrió.

Sant Llorenç is the area most affected by the expropriations. In total they need, in Sant Llorenç, 150,716 m2 of land so the train can once again pass through this municipality.

Also, in the new project they have decided to construct work areas in Son Carrió, on traditional country land. These work areas and the connecting roads will occupy more than 5,000 square metres between Son Carrió station and the cemetery. It is also assumed that they will have to clear more than 15,000 cubic metres of earth to level the ground for the railway. This will have a grave environmental impact on the small town of Son Carrió we don’t know how it will affect the urban planning or traffic circulation. In the first project they elected to place the work areas in Artà because they were near to a busier route. In Son Carrió only two routes that pass through the town reach the station and its associated areas. We don’t know how this will affect busses and lorries in Son Carrió being able to get to the station or the work areas respectively. Remember that on the road they need to use there is a school.

The following table shows the planned expropriations by municipality:

Municipality	Rural land m2	Urban land		Others m2	Totals m2
		Buildings m2	Not built m2
MANACOR	98.984	307	852	10.422	110.565
SANT LLORENÇ	136.675		122	13919	150.716
SON SERVERA	84952	3.004	2.942	17.620	108.518
ARTÀ	76.192	4.898	391	7.858	89339

According to the project the total value of these expropriations is 3.379.990 euros. This is a very low figure to pay to destroy the eastern region “Llevant” of Mallorca and for the liquidation of farming facilities in comparison to the global cost of the project, which will only benefit the construction companies involved in building the project.