Rail transport in Costa Rica

Train arriving into the Sabana-Contraloria station in San Jose.
Universidad de Costa Rica Station, San Pedro, Montes de Oca.
Map of Costa Rica showing rail lines as of 1987.
Interior of an Incofer Apolo 2400 type DMU.

Rail transport in Costa Rica is primarily under the stewardship of Incofer (Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles), an autonomous institution of the state. Incofer owns the national railway infrastructure and operates virtually all freight and passenger services, which consist primarily of commuter trains through the highly populated Central Valley. The whole Incofer network is 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge, although there are several small tourist railways of other gauges.

History

In 1871, construction was started on a railroad from Alajuela to Puerto Limón, via San José, on the Caribbean coast; the project was initiated by the government of General Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez and was surveyed in 1868 by the British civil engineer Edmund Wragge. The railroad from Alajuela to San José was completed by the beginning of 1873 and later continued until Cartago. Materials and equipment were brought into Alajuela from Puntarenas by oxen-powered carts. Due to a shortage of finances and natural obstacles (especially around Río Sucio), the construction of the remaining sections was delayed, and the entire line did not become operational until December 7, 1890.

Steam locomotive F.C. al P. no 1 Maria Cecilia in San Jose

A contract for the building of the Pacific Railroad was signed in 1897, but again, the enterprise faced natural, financial and political difficulties. The Pacific Railroad was officially launched on July 23, 1910, when the first engine, Maria Cecilia, departed from Puntarenas to San José with passengers and cargo.

The transcontinental railway from Limon to Puntarenas became operational in 1910 and was central for the connection of the various fertile regions of the country, as well as linking Nicaraguan and Panamanian railways.[1] The route followed the Atlantic coast until the small port of Matina, before it passed inland to Reventazón River. From there, it bifurcated to cross the northern mountains, with one branch going north of Irazú and the other traversing the Ochomogo Pass. At San José, these lines reunited and the railway continued onto Alajuela, the small Pacific port of Tivives and Puntarenas. The railroad was jointly owned by the state and the Costa Rica railway company, with the latter behind the 1904 arrangement to build several branch lines through the banana districts of the Atlantic littoral.

In 1926, a decision was made to electrify the lines, and the first electric train ran from San José to Puntarenas on April 8, 1930.

The Costa Rican railroad network was damaged during an earthquake in 1991[2] and its operation was suspended in 1995. Since 2000, Incofer has been working to recommence and popularize rail transport again.

Jamaican Railroad Workers

Henry Meiggs Keith, an American hired by the Costa Rican government, was in charge of railroad construction to the Atlantic Ocean. Keith insisted on utilizing "black" (later known as Afro-American) workers for clearing the forest and building the railroad tracks, and in 1872 the first group of Jamaicans entered the country. These Jamaicans and their descendants would become the main inhabitants of the region, thereby establishing a culture that was unique within Costa Rica. Two large Jamaican migrations occurred; firstly, during the railroad construction era, and then in the next century, for the banana plantations owned by the United Standard Fruit Company.

Current status

Although it once connected the Caribbean ports of Limon and Moin with the Pacific port of Caldera, traversing the Central Valley area and Costa Rica's largest cities along the route, the system fell into disrepair towards the end of the 20th century following a financial crisis that saw the President of Costa Rica, José María Figueres, order the cessation of Incofer's commercial activity, resulting in the redundancies of most of its workforce except for a select few who were charged with preserving railway assets.[3]

However, operations were never fully suspended, and there was always at least the occasional freight and maintenance traffic along certain parts of the network. Some other parts, on the other hand, were essentially abandoned until 2005 when urban passenger services were reintroduced along a corridor between the suburbs of Pavas, to the west of San José, and San Pedro, to the east. Since then, services have been greatly increased following investment in second-hand DMUs imported from Spain and the rehabilitation of dozens of kilometres of previously inoperative track. As of May 2014, the bulk of railway operations occur in the Central Valley area and consist of passenger services between the San José suburbs of Pavas, Curridabat and Belen, and between San José and the cities of Heredia and Cartago. Work is now under way to rehabilitate further sections beyond these main termini, such as between Heredia and Alajuela, and from Cartago to Paraiso, in order to extend the existing services.[4]

Trains (particularly freight trains, as well as a privately operated tour train) ran between San José and the port of Caldera until 2011, when a short section of the line was compromised following the construction of National Route 27. This prompted a dispute between Incofer and the highway developer, Autopistas del Sol. This dispute has not yet been resolved and Incofer officials have been quoted as saying that while they are technically able to run trains over the damaged section, it is dangerous to do so. Unfortunately, the resulting lack of regular traffic on this line has facilitated the theft of rails.[5]

Visitors to Costa Rica may perceive the railway as being somewhat limited compared to other forms of transport, due to the current lack of anything except a basic commuter service.[6]

Suburban rail

As of 2013, Incofer operates suburban commuter trains from San José to Curridabat, running via San Pedro (4 km East) and reaching Belen (12 km West). There are also trains to Heredia and Cartago. Freight trains run near the port of Caldera in Puntarenas, as well as within the Limon Province.

Currently the service operates from two main terminals which are the old Atlantic and Pacific stations located in San José Downtown, around 3 kilometers from each other. Incofer has bought many Apolo 2400 series railcars from the former narrow gauge operator in Spain, FEVE. Those cars are used in the commuter train service with complementary operations of so-called "conventional trains" (old General Electric diesel locomotives pulling old passenger cars built in Costa Rica).

FERISTSA

The proposed FERISTSA Railway would connect Mexico with Panama, passing through Costa Rica.[7]

There are no connections to Panama or Nicaragua.

Freight transport

Passenger transport overview

Map of the current status of the commuter train service of Costa Rica.

In 2006, the following trains ran in Costa Rica:

As of August 2008:

As of October, 2008:

As of December 2008

As of March 2009

As of August 2009:

As of April 2011:

As of May 2013:

Heredia - San José

Heredia - San José Railway
Legend
 Atlantic Station (Av. 3, Paseo de Los Damas)San José
 Calle 17San José
 Avenida 7San José
 Torres River
 Route 108
 Route 32
 Cinco Esquinas
 Rivera Stream
 Calle Pantano
 Route 101
 Colima StationTibás
 Avenida 4Tibás
 Virilla River
Santa Rosa StationSanto Domingo, Heredia
Gertrudis Stream
Miraflores Station
 Route 3
 Pirro River
 Pirro Exit
 Street 1Heredia
 Central StreetHeredia
 Heredia Station (Av. 10, Ca. Central-2)Heredia

The Heredia, Costa Rica to San José, Costa Rica service runs only on weekdays in the morning (06:30-08:30) and in the evening (15:30-20:00) with trains leaving every half hour.

This service is operated at street level, which makes it difficult to achieve an optimum speed due to frequent encounters with busy streets, at average the speed is at about 20 kilometers per hour. The service has three stops at stations without staff, in Miraflores (Heredia), Santa Rosa (Santo Domingo) and Colima (Tibás). Still, it's a lot faster than the bus which can take more than an hour at these times.

Pavas - Curridabat

This line runs from Pavas (a slum to the west of San José) through the south of the city to Estación Pacífico and then on to Estación Atlántico and from there east to the UCR, U Latina and Curridabat. Service is hourly in the early morning and evening (weekdays only).

San José - Belen

Trains leave from Estación del Pacífico and take 30 minutes to reach Belen (which is a little city just south of San José international airport).

Pacific Railroad Station.

San José - Cartago

This new route opened in May 2013, the journey time is expected to be 43 minutes between San José (Estación Atlántico) and Cartago with 5 stops (UCR in San Pedro, Universidad Latina, Curridabat, UACA in Cipreces and Tres Rios). Price will be 550 colones.

Noise and accidents

A critical issue is that there are no barriers or lights at level crossings, only a warning sign at every one of the many grade crossings. Train airhorns are used to warn pedestrians and cars at every grade crossing of an incoming train. This is in order to prevent accidents, which have been registered, but due to the train's low speeds, they result in non-fatal accidents. There have been, as well, registered complaints about the train's loud horns (same air horns used in freight trains in other countries), but they have been overruled due to the necessity to warn traffic and pedestrians. Also many Costa Ricans feel identified with the train horns since they have been used ever since the railroad started operations.

It is also noted, that the train horn is a necessity. Recent studies show, that when the train horn is not in operation, accidents tend to double, even at railroad crossings with proper drop needles, lights and warning signs.[8]

Workmen fixing track in San José. Note acetylene torch has been lit

Other problems include single-track running, out-of-shape sleepers, joints with gaps, lack of flange oilers in tight turns, track bed out of shape, sunken in several places, bent rail tracks, and worn rail track heads. Also, there is a lack of information at stations about timetables and prices.

Pavas - Curridabat Railway Service
Legend
 Curridabat,Freses, Curridabat
Along Avenida 3,San Pedro
 Universidad de Costa Rica Station,San Pedro, Montes de Oca
 Circumvalación,San Pedro
Calle 23San José
 Atlántico Station,Av. 3, San José
 Along Avenida Central, Calle 25San José
Avenida 2,San José
 Calle 15,San José
 Along Calle 13San José
Along Avenida 20,San José
 Pacífico Station,Av. 20, San José
 Calle 8San José
Calle 42,Mata Redonda, San José
 La Contraloría Station,Mata Redonda, San José
Route 27
Pavas Station,Pavas, San José

Swiss railroad

At the Hotel Los Héroes in Nuevo Arenal, Tilarán Canton (Guanacaste Province), a Swiss hotelier has built a mountain railway for the guests of his panorama restaurant, Pequeña Helvecia (little Switzerland). The rolling stock had been originally used by a Swiss farmer from Chéseaux, who built a 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) field railroad but never got a permission to run it. The hotellier bought it in 1999 and put in operation in 2000 as a tourist attraction under the name "Tren Turistico Arenal". In 2004, it was 3.5 km long, with an elevation of 200 m and two tunnels.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia (27 October 2006). "Costa Rica". The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia. The 1911 Classic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Dr. T. Leslie Youd (1993). "LIQUEFACTION, GROUND FAILURE AND CONSEQUENT DAMAGE DURING THE 22 APRIL 1991 COSTA RICA EARTHQUAKE". LIQUEFACTION, GROUND FAILURE AND CONSEQUENT DAMAGE DURING THE 22 APRIL 1991 COSTA RICA EARTHQUAKE. EERC Library. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "INCOFER: Historia de la institución" [INCOFER: History of the institution] (PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Jerarca de Incofer afirma que uso del tren para transporte de carga y llegada a Paraíso y Alajuela son tareas pendientes" [Chief of Incofer confirms operation of freight train and reaching Paraíso y Alajuela remain unfinished jobs]. La Nacion (in Spanish). Grupo La Nacion. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "INCOFER incumplió con restauración del tren San José-Caldera" [INCOFER did not fulfill promise to restore San José-Caldera train]. Semanario Universidad (in Spanish). Universidad de Costa Rica. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Costa Rica Transportation". Destination360. Destination360. 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Shaw Group in talks with US railroad cos for Feristsa project, Central America, Infrastructure, news". Retrieved 2010-10-16.
  8. ↑ Office of Safety (April 1995). "NATIONWIDE STUDY OF TRAIN WHISTLE BANS". U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration. Noise Pollution Clearinghouse. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  9. ↑ Info at Ferrolatino.ch
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