| Tranvía de Sóller | |
| Type: | Tramway |
| Locale: |  Sóller (Spain) |
| Stations: | 17[1] |
| Open: | 4 October 1913 |
| Owner: | Ferrocarril de Sóller S.A. |
| Stock: | 12 trams |
| Linelength: | 4.868km (03.025miles) |
| Electrification: | 600 V DCoverhead lines |
| Speed: | 25km/h |
| Map State: | collapsed |
The Tranvía de Sóller (Catalan; Valencian: Tramvia de Sóller) is a Spanish heritage tramway serving the town of Sóller and the coastal village of Port de Sóller, in the island of Majorca. It is owned by Ferrocarril de Sóller S.A. (FS), the same company operating the heritage rail line linking the town to the city of Palma.
The Tranvía de Sóller is one of only two first generation tramways to survive in Spain, along with the Tramvia Blau in the city of Barcelona.[2]
The Soller tramway line, which was designed and constructed by the engineer Pedro Garau, opened on 4 October 1913 shortly after the inauguration of Palma-Sóller rail line,[1] [3] and started regular service on 13 October of that year. Electrified from the start of operation, the line is long, has a single track with passing loops and runs on narrow gauge tracks. It is a popular tourist attraction, especially since the early 2000s, as it uses attractive heritage rolling stock. In 2010 it carried approximately 900,000 passengers.[4]
Along with other small towns[5] such as Gmunden (Austria: Gmunden Tramway) or Volchansk (Russia: Volchansk tram system), Sóller is one of the smallest European towns with an urban tramway system.
The line has 17 stations, most of them simple stops consisting of a concrete platform, with no buildings.[1] Trams run at approximately 30 minute intervals from 07:00 to midnight, reduced to one trip per hour from 20:00.[6]
The route starts at Sóller railway station, and the southern passenger terminus is just outside the entrance to that station. Trams start inside the railway yard at the tram depot, which is linked to the main railway. On arrival from Port de Soller, trams enter the yard to shunt locomotives for the return trip, but passengers are not allowed into the depot.[7]
The track passes through the town's centre, close to the church of San Bartolomé and goes through the main square, sharing the public road with motor vehicles. The line then follows its own route, through the northern suburb of Sóller and the village of Horta, crosses the MA-11 road, and then runs parallel to that road. Finally, it enters the town of Port de Sóller at the "Sa Torre" stop, and travels along the pedestrianised seafront to the marina at the north end.
The provision of passing loops enables several vehicles to be in transit between the termini, and in high season relief trams run closely behind the scheduled trams, and both tram sets can be accommodated in a loop.
| Station | km | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sóller | 0.00 | Station on the line to Palma, tram depot |
| Mercat (Sóller) | 0.30 | Town centre, passing loop |
| Can Guida (Sóller) | 0.90 | |
| Can Reus (Sóller) | 1.20 | |
| L'Horta (Sóller) | 1.60 | |
| Monument (Sóller) | 2.00 | |
| Can Llimó | 2.25 | |
| Can Ahir | 2.50 | |
| Roca Roja | 2.75 | passing loop |
| Es Control | 3.45 | Car Parking |
| Sa Torre (Port de Sóller) | 3.70 | |
| S'Espléndido (Port de Sóller) | 3.80 | |
| Las Palmeras (Port de Sóller) | 3.90 | |
| S'Eden (Port de Sóller) | 4.10 | |
| Can Generós (Port de Sóller) | 4.30 | |
| Marysol (Port de Sóller) | 4.65 | northern passenger terminal, passing loop |
| La Payesa (Port de Sóller) | 4.86 | no passenger service, shunting only |
The rolling stock of the Tranvía comprises:
| Media | Fleet № | Qty. | Built in | Manufacturer | Acquired in | Acquired from | Retired in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | Cardé y Escoriaza | 1913 | (acquired new) | (in service) | |||
| The original motor cars of the tramway, built in Zaragoza | |||||||
| 1913 | Cardé y Escoriaza | 1913 | (acquired new) | (in service) | |||
| The original trailer cars of the tramway, built in Zaragoza | |||||||
| 1890 | Cardé y Escoriaza | 1954 | Palma de Mallorca | (in service) | |||
| Open trailer cars. | |||||||
| 1932 | Cardé y Escoriaza (Brill) | 1958 May | Bilbao | 2000 | |||
| Motorcar built from decommissioned Bilbao material: U-52’s box on a Brill 21-E truck from a “Burceña” car. Back in service in Bilbao after restoration.[8] [9] | |||||||
| 1932 | Cardé y Escoriaza | 1958 May | Bilbao | 2000 | |||
| Trailer built from decommissioned Bilbao U-55’s box; restored to its original condition in 2003, it is in the Azpeitia museum. | |||||||
| 1937 | Carris (Maley & Taunton; Metrovick) | 1997-2001[10] [11] | Lisbon | (in service) | |||
| Motor cars built in 1936-1940 by Lisbon’s Carris on Maley & Taunton trucks with Metrovick equipment. Adapted in 1997-1998 to gauge from their original gauge.[12] In late 2012 FS No. 22 rebodied to match series 1-3, as was FS No. 21 a few years later and then FS No. 24; the rest expected to follow.[13] | |||||||
| 2001-2002* | Ferrocarriles de Sóller | 2001-2002* | (own construction) | (in service) | |||
| Open trailer cars, built by the tramway itself; removable windows and sides can be added for the colder season. (* Trailer FS No. 7, built to the same specs, added later.) | |||||||