New plot twist in the conflict between the workers of Servei Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) and the management of the public company. Four days after signing the first part of the agreement to call off the protestsThe works council has warned of this: "We demand that, sometime this week, management urgently convene the works council to formally present a proposal, or we will have no other option but to reactivate the strikes."

The management and works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) signed the first part of an agreement on Thursday to call off the announced protests. The ratified portion of the agreement pertains to the statutes of the Safety Committee, which will be responsible for addressing most of the 48 points on the workers' list of demands. "This is the starting point for establishing this committee, which will benefit all citizens of the Balearic Islands and, in particular, the railway company," emphasized SFM's general manager, José Ramón Orta.

The Lloseta Town Council has expressed its regret that Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) has still not responded to the formal request (Exp. 91/2026) to provide night train services during the early hours of Saturday, February 14th to Sunday, February 15th, which coincided with the Carnival celebrations in the municipality. According to Javier González, Councilor for Mobility, speaking to ARA Baleares, the request was submitted in anticipation of many young people—especially minors—traveling to the town for Carnival. "We received information, through various sources, that many young people were forwarding a message via WhatsApp to go to Lloseta," he explained.

The Balearic Government has begun implementing a new rail safety system on Mallorca's rail services (SFM), the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which functions as an "electronic co-pilot." Among other things, the new system will constantly monitor the speed of trains and metros and automatically control their braking or stopping when any incident is detected. The measure, which will involve an investment of more than 50 million euros, will begin implementation this year through a pilot project. In the case of the metro, it will be operational from 2027. From then on, its implementation will begin on the rail network and will cover the entire Line 2 and Line 2 network. The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, and the Minister of Housing, Territory and Mobility, José Luis Mateo, along with a technical manager, visited the Centralized Traffic Center (CTC) to learn firsthand about the phases of the project and the impact it will have on rail safety in Mallorca. Train speed

The system, Prohens explained, functions as an "electronic co-pilot" that constantly monitors train speed, controls braking and stopping commands, and automatically intervenes in the event of any incident or disruption. In this way, the regional leader emphasized, "the risk associated with the human factor" will be significantly reduced, and "constant communication between the track, the trains, and the control centers" will be guaranteed. It will also entail investment in track equipment, adaptation of rolling stock, and the creation of a dedicated control center to manage the new system. "It is our obligation to guarantee the safety of the 12 million users who trust us to take the train or metro each year. That trust must be repaid, and we are repaying it with investment, technology, and foresight," she noted.

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The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) and management will meet again next week to try to make progress in negotiations regarding safety, amid growing tension and the threat of strikes and protests by the workers. Both sides met this Thursday in a meeting where SFM presented union representatives with a document outlining the status of the 48 measures demanded by the works council. According to the public company's manager, José Ramón Orta, it is now up to the workers to analyze the proposal. Orta explained that the document is the result of an analysis prepared by technical staff and includes an evaluation of each demand, as well as a planned implementation schedule. The manager emphasized that virtually none of the points require political intervention, except for those related to the outsourcing of services. However, the works council considers the assessment highly critical. Its president, Ricardo Mas, described the document as "devoid of content" and lamented the vagueness of the responses. "It's like Groundhog Day. They say they've worked hard, but the points are just rambling: that it will be studied, that the appropriate tool will be sought…," he remarked. Mas warned that if concrete commitments don't emerge from the next meeting, a schedule of protests will be launched. In fact, he acknowledged that at the beginning of Thursday's meeting, the committee even walked out with the intention of going to the Balearic Islands Arbitration and Mediation Tribunal (TAMIB) to formally register strikes. "We can't wait any longer. It's the only way to get results," he stated.

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The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) expressed confidence that the safety measures proposed by the company's management would be aligned with those agreed between the Ministry of Transport, Adif, Renfe and the state trade union organizations.

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The Train Users Association strongly criticized the elimination of the 'Move Well' bike-sharing service, a decision it considers "unjustified" and which, in its view, represents a further obstacle to promoting the use of public transport in Mallorca. The association regrets the removal of a service that facilitated mobility for travelers arriving in Palma, especially those who need to travel from the Intermodal Station to their final destination. According to the association, the service's withdrawal contradicts European recommendations to reduce private vehicle use and promote rail travel to combat climate change. They point out that more than 100,000 cars enter Palma every day and more than 300,000 travel on the ring road, while the train registers around 11,000 daily users. "Eliminating incentives like 'Move Well' does not help to reverse this trend," they warn. The organization also denounces that the Mallorca Rail Service is operating at its limit, with structural deficiencies that prevent increased frequencies, reduced journey times, and service reinforcement due to staff shortages. Furthermore, they lament the progressive loss of services and attention to stations, many of which have been left without staff and with fewer amenities for passengers. Regarding the proposed alternative, the BiciPalma service, users believe it does not fulfill the same function, as it is not free for public transport passengers, is not designed for occasional users, and is not accessible to everyone. In this sense, they conclude that the elimination of the 'Mou-te bé' service is part of a trend toward the "dehumanization" of the service and a lack of a clear commitment to making public transport more attractive compared to the current model based on private vehicles.

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The management of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) will present a document next week with its technical proposals for each of the 48 safety improvements proposed by the works council. This was agreed upon by both parties at a new meeting held this Thursday as part of the negotiations to improve safety on Mallorca's rail services following the fatal accidents in Adamuz (Córdoba) and Gelida (Barcelona).

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The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) has accused management and the Ministry of Housing, Territory and Mobility of giving the public messages regarding infrastructure safety that do not reflect reality. The workers' representatives have sent a letter to Minister José Luis Mateo, accompanied by a dossier detailing safety incidents collected over the last two years. The council criticized Mateo, stating that while the Ministry claims safety is guaranteed, no basic answers, written commitments, concrete agreements, or immediate improvement measures are being offered at the negotiating table. "What we are being offered, for the moment, are announcements of studies and future projects. To say that everything is under control when there are no clear protocols or a safety governance structure is simply misleading the public," they pointed out.

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The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) has decided to postpone the partial strikes and has scheduled a new meeting with the company's management for next Friday to continue negotiating improvements in safety matters.

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The management of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) took a step towards dialogue with the works council on Tuesday, after workers agreed in an assembly to call partial strikes to demand improvements in the safety of the railway network. The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday morning, aims to defuse the conflict before the protest materializes. Union representatives and the management of the public company will meet at the headquarters to open a channel of dialogue based on the demands expressed by the workers, who announced the mobilizations after months of complaints about deficiencies in infrastructure safety, equipment maintenance, and other technical aspects of the network. During the first assembly, held on Monday, delegates approved by majority vote the call for work stoppages, likely compatible with the nationwide train drivers' strike scheduled for February 9, 10, and 11, although the protest has not yet been formally registered. The unions argued that the action is not intended as an attack on the service, but rather as a tool to denounce situations they consider unsustainable and that endanger both staff and passengers. The works council has confirmed it will attend the meeting "in a constructive spirit, but with the firmness the situation demands," according to a statement released this Tuesday. The unions emphasized that their goal is to reach "concrete and binding" agreements on safety, with effective measures and clear commitments to prevent the recurrence of risky situations. "Safety is non-negotiable," they stressed. The call for partial strikes comes in a context marked by the train accidents in Adamuz (Córdoba) and Gelida (Barcelona), fatal incidents that have reopened the debate on the safety standards of Spanish railway infrastructure and which SFM workers have cited as a point of reference to justify their actions. For their part, SFM management and the Balearic Government have issued reassuring messages to the public, maintaining that the railway network in Mallorca is safe and that historic investments have been made in the safety and maintenance of trains, tracks, and associated systems. The Minister of Mobility, José Luis Mateo, expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue but emphasized the need for union demands to be "specific and well-founded."

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Workers at Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) have agreed to call partial strikes to demand improvements in the safety of the island's rail network. The decision was made at a meeting held today at midday following the fatal accidents in Adamuz (Córdoba) and Gelida (Barcelona), according to the SFM works council. The approximately 70 workers, out of a total of 190, who participated in the meeting expressed their overwhelming support for the call for partial strikes. Only four votes were cast against. The works council will meet on Wednesday to finalize the details of the protests, which will begin with low-intensity actions to minimize disruption to passengers. The sources consulted indicated that it would be desirable for an agreement to be reached with the Government to implement the demanded safety improvements before these partial strikes could take place (which could begin ten days after the ballot was registered with the Tamib). The assembly, despite the willingness to reach an agreement with the public company, was "phlegmatic" and served as a platform for workers to outline the problems identified in each of SFM's areas. Shortly before the meeting, the president of the works council, Ricardo Más, had already assumed that the workers would demand the calling of the partial strikes. "After so long being ignored, the only thing left for us is collective action," he emphasized. "If the company doesn't want this to affect users, we must sit down and talk about safety improvements," he added.

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The works council of Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) expressed on Monday its "deep sorrow and dismay" at the serious train accident that occurred in Adamuz, a tragedy they feel "as their own" and for which they send all their support to the victims, their families and the workers of Renfe and Iryo.

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To mark the San Antonio and San Sebastián festivities, Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) has announced an extensive schedule of night trains and additional services to facilitate travel by public transport during these celebrations, which will last until January 20. The measure aims to reduce pressure on the roads and promote more sustainable mobility during the holidays.

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Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) has announced a doubling of the investment allocated to its new passenger information and assistance service. This service, part of a contract valid until 2030, will introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) system to provide automated responses to the most common queries. The contract allocates €1.16 million for the first two years, with the possibility of further increases, compared to the €483,418 budgeted for the 2020-2024 period. According to the Ministry of Mobility, this increase will allow for a shift towards a more comprehensive, accessible model, better adapted to the real needs of rail network users. Once the new framework is in effect, passenger information and assistance will be provided continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a faster response to incidents, timetable changes, or complaints. In addition, the service will expand its communication channels: screens and public address systems in stations, information systems on trains, a website, social media (Instagram and X), WhatsApp, and telephone support. The AI system will provide immediate and automated answers to frequently asked questions with an intuitive, multilingual design accessible to people with disabilities. Information coordination with the TIB bus service will also be strengthened to offer consistent and up-to-date information to users combining different modes of transport. The budget increase will allow for extended service hours, enhanced coverage during peak periods, and improved continuous monitoring of facilities, with the aim of reducing service disruptions and increasing the reliability and safety of the network.

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Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) inaugurated its new headquarters this Monday in the former Terminus hostel building, located in Palma's Plaça d'Espanya, next to the Intermodal Station. The event was attended by the President of the Government of Mallorca, Marga Prohens; the Minister of Housing, Mobility and Territory, José Luis Mateo; the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez; and the Managing Director of SFM, José Ramón Orta. The authorities unveiled a commemorative plaque, toured the facilities, and, at the end of the official presentation, symbolically opened the new headquarters cafeteria. Prohens celebrated the restoration of the former hostel, a modernist building constructed in 1913 and declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC), a process that began in 2012 when the Administration initiated the legal procedure to reclaim its public ownership. "We have completed a long project to return this building to public use, a project with which we have recovered heritage and living history of our islands," he applauded.

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The Spanish Congress of Deputies definitively approved the Sustainable Mobility Law this Thursday, which includes a key amendment for the Balearic Islands: free public transport starting in 2026. The measure, which will also apply to the Canary Islands, was championed by Senator Juanjo Ferrer, representing Ibiza and Formentera, and included in the text that the Senate is sending to the Senda (a political platform). The initiative received support from the People's Party (PP), the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and Vicenç Vidal, a deputy from Sumar-MÁS, among others. Both the PP and the eco-sovereignists and United Left celebrated the approval, which they consider "beneficial for the citizens of the Islands." Vidal emphasized that the inclusion of the amendment was made possible thanks to "tenacious diplomacy aimed at shifting the PSOE's stance towards the interests of the Balearic Islands," a strategy pursued jointly with Ferrer. "This measure is fair and necessary: we are an island territory with limited public transport, high costs, and a heavy reliance on private vehicles. Guaranteeing free public transport means mobility for everyone, especially families and young people, and it is both strategic and environmentally friendly," stated the eco-sovereignist deputy. From the People's Party, the deputy spokesperson in Congress, José Vicente Marí Bosó, emphasized his party's role in the Senate: "Without the PP's vote today, the amendment could not have been brought to Congress. Thanks to the PP, free public transport has been ratified in 2026," adding that they paid for it. For his part, the head of Institutional Policy for United Left of the Balearic Islands, Óscar Rodríguez, described the decision as "a victory for the work of the senator from Ibiza and Formentera and the progressive forces." Rodríguez has insisted that one of her party's objectives is for free public transport "to become a permanent right for the citizens of the Balearic Islands" and has called on the regional government to "improve the funding for the transfer of land transport responsibilities to the island councils, which is currently underfunded, to guarantee the sustainability of the measure and improve the service."

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Mallorca Railway Services (SFM) will implement a review and update of train and metro timetables starting next Monday, November 17th, with the aim of adjusting them to current service conditions and improving punctuality, reliability, and overall quality of public rail transport. This measure, the result of a technical analysis by the Operations department with the participation of train drivers and operations inspectors, responds to the need to update timetables that were designed in a different context and, according to SFM, no longer reflect the operational reality of the network. The adjustments are based on real data collected over the last six months and have taken into account various factors, such as the bridge replacement works on Calle del Greco, near the Verge de Lluc station (Palma), increased train occupancy, changes in speed and timing, single-track sections, and stations experiencing growing passenger demand.

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"When I'm lucky, I catch the train two or three minutes late. Then I feel lucky." So says Marta, a daily train user who has accepted that delays are a normal part of the rail service. Every morning, the platforms in the municipalities on the train are filled with people tensely staring at the supposedly informative screen, and there have been days, like this Wednesday, when even the time on the clocks is unreliable. When Marta arrived to take the train, the screen showed 9:22 a.m. The problem was that it was 9:34 a.m. "Will she be late based on the time on the screen or the real time?" she asked a worker who shrugged her back in ignorance, albeit with a very friendly smile.

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A user reported a new problem on the Mallorca train network. This morning, the Constancia/Hospital de Inca station was closed for unknown reasons, and passengers were unable to access the platform. The train followed its usual route and stopped at the station, but this time it departed without passengers.

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