QCOSTARICA – Daily the urban train (tren urbano, in Spanish) moves people to and from work, connecting the communities of downtown San José, San Pedro, Pavas, Belén (Heredia), Heredia Centre and Cartago.
Starting in March, according to forecasts by the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (Incofer), the city of Alajuela will be connected.
Incofer chief, Guillermo Santana, assures the train will be running to and from the city of Mangos (as Alajuela is known) by the end of the first quarter.
Work on the Alajuela route from Heredia Centre began in 2014, that included placing 18.000 concrete ties and restoring up to 11 kilometres of track in poor condition due to deterioration over the years of non use.
In addition, Santana claims that by March 2016, the Cartago train service will be extended to Paraiso.
To meet the demand, the railway is buying more train cars this year, allowing to gradually expand the service.
“The idea is to have service between 5:00am and 11:00am, but we will be implementing it gradually.” said Santana.
Currently, the urban train runs only during mornings and afternoons on weekdays, with lines from San Pedro – San José – Pavas – Belén (Heredia); San José – Heredia centre; San Pedro – Cartago.
On special occasion, the train has gone into service on weekends and holidays from downtown San José to La Sabana, coinciding with major events at the national stadium.
