Sa Pobla resists: Farmers and environmentalists protest against railway expansion

Tractors at the crossroads: Sa Pobla says \"not so\" to the railway

Early in the morning, breezy and still smelling of oil and coffee, several farm machines stood closely packed on Plaza Major. Around 09:30 a small column of tractors blocked the access to the state road toward Campanet — a visible sign that not everyone is thrilled about the railway idea.

What it's about

The government plans to extend the existing railway line from Sa Pobla to Port d'Alcúdia and to build a new connection from Palma in the southeast to Llucmajor. On paper this sounds like better access for the airport and Playa de Palma. In practice, however, many fear: more land sealing, new tracks through olive and grain fields, and impacts on the protected area around s'Albufera and the wetlands near Alcúdia.

Farmers, residents, conservationists — an unequal trio

On the plaza there were farmers with dusty boots, a group of older female residents, and a few activists from the Association for Landscape Protection. The mood was serious, not hysterical. Many prefer to speak of concern rather than rejection: concern about lost cropland, about dust and construction noise, about the microclimate in the villages along the planned route.

The organizers handed out information sheets, map after map showing planned route sections. It wasn't about a general no to public transport, some emphasize — but about the type and location of the expansion. Others see in the rail project a chance to reduce car trips. That makes the debate complicated.

What the authorities say — and what is happening on the ground

Official agencies point to feasibility studies and climate goals. On the ground, however, alternative proposals are being voiced: make better use of existing tracks, or lay out the expansion so as to protect valuable soils. Some call for a binding compensation scheme for lost cropland.

In the coming weeks there are sessions at the town hall and two public forums announced. It is expected that the discussion will become hotter once concrete surveys begin and construction companies appear. Then words quickly turn to facts — and to chains of machines.

Why this also concerns us on Mallorca

The debate shows something fundamental: islands have limited space. Every square meter used for transport or large projects is missing somewhere else — for agriculture, housing, or nature conservation. On Mallorca this is not an abstract calculation but everyday life. I know people who talk with farmers at the market in the morning, who see their future threatened by a line of rails.

Whether the protests stop the plans is open. But they show that in infrastructure questions not only engineers and politicians should talk — but exactly the people who live and work here. And yes: over a cup of Café con leche in front of the kiosk yesterday many said they want a better connection, but not at any price. That sounds reasonable. Only in long planning processes is reason sometimes ignored.