Heredia - San José
Temporarily Derailed For
Lack of Funding
The "Heredia train"
program is becoming more
difficult than promised
by the Instituto
Costarricense de
Ferrocarriles (Incofer)
as it tries desperately
to get the train service
between San José and
Heredia moving.
The main problem for the
railway is lack of
funds.
The government has
promised ¢2 billion
colones to Incofer,
however, it has yet to
make good on the promise
and even if it does, the
railway says it is just
enough to only
recondition five diesel
engines and cars that
have been in abandon for
the last 13 years.
Incofer, to get the
service running, still
needs funding to repair
bridges like that ones
at the hospital Calderón
Guardia (San José), in
Cinco Esquinas de Tibás,
over the río Virilla
(between Cuatro Reinas
and Santo Domingo) and
renovate the railway
line which was
originally built in
1873.
The route between San
José and Heredia is only
10 kilometres, however,
more than 40% of the
route needs repairs.
The Arias government
last month promised
Incofer, as part of its
program to reduce
gasoline consumption,
funds to get the Heredia
- San José train moving,
however, it has not
moved on getting the
money to Incofer.
Miguel Carabaguíaz,
president of Incofer,
said that at least five
locomotives are required
to provide the service
between the Estación del
Ferrocarril al
Atlántico, located at
the east end of the
Parque Nacional and the
Hipermás en San
Francisco de Heredia.
Carabaguíaz said that
money is needed to
restore the three
General Electric diesel
engines that have were
purchased in 1979 and
parked at the Estación
del tren al Pacífico, on
the south side of San
José. To complete the
Heredia service, Incofer
is planning on moving
two locomotives, also
purchased in 1979, from
Limón where they have
been in use to carry
cargo.
In addition to the
restoring of the
locomotives, the Incofer
head said that the
passenger cars need
restoring, some which
have been abandonded
along portions of the
railway for years.
Carabaguíaz added that
many of the cars have
been idle since 1995
when the José María
Figueres (1994-1998)
administration shut down
the railway system in
the country, which
include cars donated by
Japan some 35 years ago.
The "Japanese" cars are
easily identified by
their unique aluminum
construction, which are
different from the
"Canadian" cars, called
such because funds were
provided by the Canadian
government while the
cars were manufactured
in Costa Rica.
Carabaguíaz said that he
is looking at the
obtaining financing from
the Banco
Centroamericano de
Integración Económica (BCIE),
while the Arias
government looks for
ways to keep its promise
which is being
difficulted by the lack
of will of legislators
to approve the
government's proposal,
that also includes a
transfer of ¢10 billion
colones to Recope to
subsidize diesel fule
prices.
Carabaguíaz said he
expects the BCIE to
discuss the Incofer
request at its August
board meeting.
Carabaguíaz assures that
the Heredia - San José
train can start running
in six months after it
receives funding.
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