Heredia to be half-hour train ride from San José

Commuters may not have to wait much longer for a new way to travel to Costa Rica´s capital city.

The train between Heredia and San José is expected to begin service in April, according to officials at the Costa Rican Railroad Institute (INCOFER).

Miguel Carabaguíaz, executive director of INCOFER, said the cars are on their way from Spain and scheduled to arrive in mid-April, though he couldn´t specify a date.

The rails for the train are under repair. Carabaguíaz said they should be ready when the train arrives.

“We are almost done with the work on the lines,” he said. “I don´t know the date, but service should start in mid-April.”

The Heredia train is a government initiative that began in 2008.

The project cost ¢2 billion (about $3.6 million, per the 2008 rate) and included the money to buy eight train cars – four trains of two cars each – and rehabilitate the lines that already exist between San José and the provincial capital.

One ride on the long-awaited train will cost ¢360 ($0.64), Carabaguíaz said, and will take approximately 30 minutes during rush hour – 20 minutes if the train runs express.

The train will use diesel fuel, but Carabaguíaz said INCOFER hired a Brazilian firm to study the feasibility and costs of installing an electric train in the future.

See the March 20 print or digital edition of The Tico Times for more on this story.