Cuba begins Havana station reconstruction

Cuba begins Havana station reconstruction
Written by Erwin Reidinger

CUBAN Railways (UFC) closed its Havana Central station on June 24 for
the start of a three-year rebuilding and renovation project, which will
include the construction of additional platforms.

All passenger traffic has been moved to the adjacent Coubre yard, where
a former bus terminal has been converted into a temporary station.

Other major stations including Santa Clara and Camagüey are also being
rebuilt as part of a programme to improve and expand Cuba's railway
infrastructure.

A new line to the port of Mariel opened last year and in March this year
UFC completed a new link between Guanajay on the Havana - Mariel line
and Artemisa, the capital of the province of the same name. A daily
Havana - Artemisa passenger service now operates via Guanajay, reducing
the journey time to 1h 30min, compared with a journey time of around
three-and-a-half hours for services on the existing line.

Further new lines are under construction include Toledo - Murgas and
Bauta - Murgas which will provide additional links from Rincon to the
Mariel line, while the construction of a second track on the Naranjito -
Almendares section means the entire Havana - Mariel line will soon be
double track.

At Angosta, a few kilometres from Mariel container terminal, a new
railway complex is under construction. This includes a freight yard, a
station, a fuelling facility and maintenance depot for locomotives and
wagons. It will also provide access to a nearby logistics centre.

Source: Cuba begins Havana station reconstruction | International
Railway Journal -
http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/central-south-america/cuba-begins-havana-station-reconstruction.html