The Palma metro now reaches Parc Bit.

PalmThe President of the Government, Marga Prohens, inaugurated this Wednesday the extension of the Palma metro to Parc Bit, a €34.9 million project that will connect the Plaça d'Espanya Intermodal Station to the technology park in 15 minutes.

This Thursday, the new service connecting the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and Parc Bit in just two minutes will be available for use. The regional government estimates that the launch of the new service will increase the number of metro users by between 10% and 17%, which currently stands at 2.1 million annually. Prohens was accompanied at the inauguration by the Minister of Mobility, José Luis Mateo; the President of the Mallorcan Council, Llorenç Galmés; the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez; the Director General of Mobility, Lorena del Valle; and the Manager of Servicios Ferviarios de Mallorca (SFM), José Ramón Orta.

All of them have participated in the first official journey of this new rail connection, from Palma to Parc Bit, which represents the first expansion of the network since the inauguration of the metro in 2007. The new railway section has been financed with European Next Generation EU funds from the Recovery Plan, Recovery Plan, Special Regime of the Balearic Islands (REIB).

According to the president, this action allows us to close a historical demand to connect the public university and the main innovation hub of the Islands with the nerve center of the city's transport.

"Today we take an important step in the commitment to modern, connected, efficient and sustainable mobility, bringing closer like never before two hubs of knowledge and innovation that are fundamental for the future of our Islands: the UIB and Parc Bit," she noted. Prohens recalled that this project was planned since 2012 and publicly presented in 2019. However, the works have been carried out during the current legislative period, with some delays due to delays in the supply of materials due to the DANA (National Road Traffic Regulation) in Valencia.

Parc Bit, the main center of technological, scientific, and business activity in the Balearic Islands, registers a high volume of daily trips, 85% of which are currently made by private motorized vehicles. With the entry into operation of this new line, a significant change in mobility patterns is expected, incentivizing the use of public transport and significantly reducing pressure on roads and the environmental impact.

The new infrastructure has a 1.4-kilometer layout, combining underground, trench, and surface sections. The line runs beneath the access road to Parc Bit and ends at a surface station located next to parking lot number 5 of the technology complex. This station has been designed to facilitate direct access for park workers and visitors, as well as to integrate efficiently with the existing infrastructure.

The president has insisted that this project is part of a global strategy to transform the mobility model in Mallorca and throughout the archipelago. This metro extension is the first step in a series of improvements planned by the for the coming years, such as the launch of the Llucmajor train and the train to Alcudia. In addition to improving access to Parc Bit and the UIB, the new metro section will help relieve congestion on the access road and reduce emissions from transport.