Night trains in Mallorca: Good idea — but can it work by 2027?

Night trains in Mallorca: Good idea — but can it work by 2027?

Anyone who stands late in Palma at the Plaça de España, hears the rush of the Avenida Gabriel Roca and misses the last taxi call knows the routine: the trains are gone, the taxi is expensive. SFM has announced, in Night trains from 2027?, that it will introduce significantly later connections — later on weekdays, and continuously at weekends and before public holidays. Sounds tempting. But the question remains: How realistic is this, and who will foot the bill in the end?

The core question: more service or just a promise?

On paper the calculation is simple: night services provide safe, cheaper travel for night-shift workers, hostel guests and late-night club-goers returning from La Lonja. In the bars around Passeig de Born people hope for fewer taxi rides and more safety for employees who have to go home late. But SFM itself names two indispensable prerequisites — more staff and additional rolling stock. These are not small issues: drivers, conductors and technicians must be recruited, trained and covered by collective agreements. Where are the trains supposed to come from if many are already needed for the morning commuter traffic? This is examined in Night Trains on Mallorca: Opportunity or Expensive Promise for 2027?.

Hidden costs and technical stumbling blocks

Night trains operation changes the whole operating concept. Maintenance windows that used to be at night would need to be rescheduled. That means more workshop capacity, possibly night-shift maintenance staff and longer service intervals for existing vehicles. Smaller stops like those in Llucmajor or Petra need additional safety lighting and perhaps video surveillance — that drives investment costs up. And then there are negotiations with the unions: night work means surcharges, different duty rosters and, not least, staff rotation.

Who will benefit — and who will protest?

Winners would first be those who work late: hotel staff, bartenders, cleaners and shift workers at the airport. Tourists with late arrivals could save on a rental car. On the other hand, there are residents in small towns who expect peace at night. If a train rolls through the village center at 2 a.m., it is hard to weigh benefit against disturbance. Clear rules are needed here: noise protection, reduced speeds through sensitive sections and transparency during trial runs.

Solutions instead of a wish list

The announcement has potential — if it is accompanied by concrete measures. A realistic phased plan could look like this: prioritize lines with high demand potential (Palma–Sóller, Palma–Manacor), temporarily reallocate trains in the winter season, a targeted hiring campaign with shift models and financial incentives. Close coordination with bus companies for the last mile is important: the train does not stop right at everyone's front door.

Financing remains the sticking point. The city, island government and the state must clarify who will bear the additional costs — or whether a partial ticket surcharge model will be used. A sensible approach would be a trial with subsidized night rides in the first months in order to measure passenger behaviour and reduce night-time car traffic.

Conclusion: an opportunity with a to-do list

The idea of comfortably rolling to Sóller or Manacor at 1:30 a.m. is appealing. Mallorca changes its voice at night: the sea, the streetlights, the distant clatter of a train. The SFM announcement can be a real gain for the island — but only if the government, SFM, unions and municipalities do the tedious work behind such a change. Otherwise it remains a nice idea that fails on details. I am cautiously optimistic — and I will be standing near a platform at the first trial timetable, just in case the train really comes.