Electric Train Project
On Right Track
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Electric Train
Project
On Right
Track
At a cost of some us$345 million dollars,
Josefinos will be riding the electric train
to and from downtown San Jose within the
next decade, as the San Jose Metro Electric
Train (TREM) project moves one step further
to reality.
The project will expects to relieve auto
congestion and reduce CO2 emissions. This is
a priority project for the government of
Costa Rica – as the project connects 7
municipalities in the San Jose Metro area.
The first phase, expected within five years,
is to run betwen San Jose and Heredia, which
will take passengers in less than 30
minutes.
The electric train project is separate from
the current program to rehabilitate the
current railwayn service between San Jose
and Hereida, using diesel powered
locomotives purchased from Spain and enroute
to Costa Rica.
The ministra de Obras Publicas y Transportes
(MOPT), Karla González, in announcing the
project, said this is about modernizing
Costa Rica's public transport system.
The train is expected to carry more than 45
million passengers a year and is to be
financed in part by the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB), with a us$100
million dollar loan. The rest of the funding
must come from other sources according to
González.
The feasibilty study for the project began
last year and in May the bidding process is
to commence. The ministra said she expects
at least six companies to take part in the
informational meeting that is being held
this Friday.
Construction on the project is expected to
begin by the middle of 2010.
The scope of the project is to provide mass
public transportation service for the Gran
Area Metropolitana (GAM) - Greater
Metropolitan Area of San Jose, serving the
areas of Heredia, Santo Domingo, Flores, San
Pablo, Tibas, Guadalupe, La Sabana, and San
Pedro de Montes de Oca.
The first phase is to provide service to and
from downtown San Jose to Heredia; the
second phase to the central core of San
Jose; the third phae to Guadalupe; and the
fourth phase to the Sabana Sur.
The project is being handled by the Consejo
Nacional de Concessiones (CNC) - national
concession advisory - under the guidance of
Ing. Juan Sauma, director of the TREM
project.
Phases of the electric train project.
Click to expand.
Satellite view of the project.
Click to
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