San Jose’s new train route will be expensive

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA – September 8, 2012 – The proposed new train route in San Jose, which is to have a route of 10 kilometers, is raising concerns due to the amount of money – over 127 billion colones ($254 million USD) -that the government must raise in order to finance the project. Some experts indicate that a bus service – with a peripheral route- could do the same job, especially if given an exclusive lane.

However, the Municipality of San Jose justifies the train by its “ecological and aesthetic aspects,” stating these provide an added value in comparison with buses.

“If you ask people whether they prefer to travel crowded in a bus, or crowded in a train, they are going to say the train. The train has additional advantages; it is ecological and very aesthetically pleasant,” said the minister of Public Works and Transportation, Rodrigo Rivera.

San Jose mayor, Johnny Araya, said that if Costa Rica wants to become a carbon neutral country by the year 2021, it must look for ecological solutions.

“So much release of contaminating gases in the city must be eliminated, only in this way can we reach the goal that has been set, and without a doubt, the train is an option that does not contaminate and is very favorable to eliminate the buses and cars from the central city, because people will want to get on the train, “ added Araya.