The railway route between Pinar del Río and Havana, a vital link for hundreds of travelers, is back in operation after spending almost four years out of service.
Sander Lescano Peralta, Chief of Operations of the Pinar del Río station, offered statements to Guerrillero where he confirmed that nearly 200 residents of Pinar del Río embarked this morning on a trip to Havana.
The Cuban government made improvements to the four cars of the train that had not been offering services to the population since 2020, due to technical problems in the fleet and complications derived from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The train will operate twice a week, with departures on Mondays and Thursdays at 09:00 am from the Pinar del Río station. Return trips will be Tuesday and Friday from Havana, departing at 11:00 am from the "19 deNovember" station in Tulipán.
The price of the ticket is 100 CUP for the complete journey, while tickets for intermediate sections have a cost of 10 CUP.
The train capacity is approximately 280 passengers and the estimated travel time is seven hours, due to the multiple stops it makes on its route.
This schedule and the rate seek to adapt to the needs of regular travelers between these two provinces. The government said it will be a "reliable and economical alternative" to other means of transport.
Before its suspension in 2020, The train carried between 450 and 500 passengers per trip. Technical problems with the Canadian locomotive and cars, coupled with a lack of resources for repairs due to financial restrictions, were the main reasons for the pause in service.
The train from Havana to Pinar del Río resumes its service but will have half the capacity it had three years ago.
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