Surprise tractor protest at the Government for protesting against the new Sa Pobla train in Alcudia

PalmThe government delegation, led by the Director General of Mobility, Lorena del Valle, greeted the townspeople with a surprise tractor parade. They met this Tuesday with the owners of the land affected by the future train line between Sa Pobla and Port d'Alcúdia.

Around fifteen tractors gathered at the entrance to the Vialfàs public school in Sa Pobla, honking their horns to protest against a route that the farmers and landowners of La Marjal consider "an aberration," as some of those present repeated before, during, and after the event.

The nearly three hundred people who attended the meeting organized by the Executive to explain its project applauded the presence of the tractors, with a clear message of vindication of the "few farmers that remain, and now they want to cut them down," said Joan, one of the farmers gathered at the entrance.

The Director General of Mobility, Lorena del Valle, has insisted that the project is in the public exhibition phase and that precisely what those affected should do is provide their opinions and complaints through their allegations. She also assured, as she explained to ARA Baleares, that "all arguments will be heard." However, the intervention of the Director General, accompanied by the Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca team led by its manager, José Ramón Orta, has not managed to calm the situation.

The interventions from members of the public have caused moments of tension. "You don't want to tell us, and neither do the technicians, that until recently, mud was removed from a torrent. These structures they're going to put in place will create a blockage and deny us land when it rains," said one attendee.

Some speakers emphasized that this is an area between torrents. Joan Cantallops, from Can Pistola, read a statement on behalf of the farmers of Sa Pobla: "What the farmers of Sa Pobla and Mallorca need is a government that listens, that cares for the farming families who try to make a living from their work in Marjal. And this train you want to take us on just keeps plunging us into even more hardship and misery." "Our lands are scarce, small, and fragile," he declared.

A project rejected from the first minute

The project to extend the train line from Sa Pobla to Port d'Alcúdia has generated strong opposition among farmers and many residents of the municipality. Several organizations, individuals, and political representatives have spoken out against what they consider a serious threat to the territory, the farmers, and the town's identity.

The planned route crosses areas of high agricultural and landscape value, such as Sa Sort Llarga, Son Tut, and Son Amer, which are part of the productive and emotional heart of Sa Pobla. It is estimated that more than 60 farms would be affected, with the destruction of irrigation channels and the disestablishment of properties, which would have an irreversible impact on the municipality's agricultural and cultural heritage.

Some of the landowners with whom ARA Baleares has spoken point out that this plan was conceived in offices far removed from the territory, without taking into account the reality, history, or way of life of the villagers. The route has been described as "ferocious," "traumatic," and "soulless," and some farmers are convinced that the original project route, much closer to Son Fe and the road, is not being followed "because there are two estates belonging to powerful landowners who already stopped the first attempt years ago."

The two routes presented by the Government (A1 and A2) have been rejected outright by both left-wing parties and civic groups, as they affect a large number of estates and have an impact considered too aggressive on the Marjal.

Those gathered today also demanded the development of alternative solutions, such as electric buses from Inca to Alcudia with dedicated lanes, or improved bus connections from the capital of Raiguer to all northern destinations, such as Pollença, Alcudia, and their respective ports. In fact, activist Pere Perelló told ARA Baleares that "the investment this train will entail makes no sense. If what we want is to improve mobility to the north, there are many alternatives without destroying the territory," he added.