COSTA RICA NEWS -Earlier this year the state railway, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles (INCOFER) said the plan to provide commuter service to Alajuela before the end of the year would be delayed.
INCOFER president, Guillermo Santana, said the railway did not have the funds to continue with the project, delaying the start of service until next year.
Last week, the former head of the INCOFER, Miguel Carabaguíaz, blasted Santana, saying that he left the state railway budgeted for the Alajuela train.
On Tuesday, Santana assured that the train to Alajuela will be running by December of this year.
Santana said that although a “critical delay” had been announced, the railway has made the necessary efforts to continue the rehabilitation of the tracks and get the train running from Heredia to Alajuela.
The director noted that they are currently working on the final 2.8 kilometres of track to reach Alajuela.
The commuter train was rehabilitated in 2005, when the government of Abel Pacheco (2002-2006) revived a broke railway and through the leadership of Carabaguíaz, the train began its first route from San Pedro to Pavas. In the years since, the Pavas line was extended to Belén (Heredia); the San José (Atlantic station) to Heredia centro was put into operation; and just last year the commuter train now provides regular service to Cartago.
Sources: CRHoy; Incofer