Incofer Rehabilitates Train Between San José and Caldera
The Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer) said it has invested some ¢80 million colones (us$154.000) in repairing a number of sections of the track between San José and the puerto Caldera on the Pacific coast that runs the "tourist" train.

Incofer said that the work involved replacing some 2.300 wooden beams that had rotted, along with adjusting rails and filling in with rocks areas of the track that had become weakened.

According to Miguel Carabaguíaz, president of the railway, said the improvement work allowed the train to move again, as service had been suspended since last September, as the rainy season had taken toll on the aging and poorly maintained track.

An Incofer report last year showed that the track was in poor condition and Carabaguíaz said then that more than ¢2 billion colones, money the Institution did not have, was required to bring the tracks to safe operation. However, Carabaguíaz, how says that the ¢80 million colones now invested is "sufficient" to make the track "transitable and safe".

The "Tico Train" as it is known carries about 800 passengers each weekend, who enjoy the scenic ride from San José to the Pacific port town.

Carabaguíaz said that since the improvements were made there have been no problems on the route and the train has been running on time.

The Incofer president added that next month there will be more improvement work on the track.

Parallel to the Pacific train, Incofer is promoting the same service for a passenger train on the Caribbean coast. Carabaguíaz, said the train in the Caribbean would coincide with the days that cruise ships dock at Limón and would run up to four trips daily.

The 50 kilometre run between Limón and Estrada de Matina and back takes about 90 minutes and is an alternative for visitors to visit the nearby beaches and take in the banana plantations.