The historic electric train of Hershey, the only one of its kind in Cuba and essential for connecting 46 rural communities between Havana and Matanzas, is being revived in official discourse with promises of rehabilitation, amid a landscape where the infrastructure has suffered from vandalism and neglect since the service was halted in 2017.
During a recent visit to Matanzas, the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, assured that efforts are being made to restore both the service and the train station in that city.
In this regard, the official announced the preparation of a ferrobús by the Provincial Transport Company. However, it is still “not technically ready” and there is not even a date for a trial run, which indicates that the announcement is far from being realized, as explained by the deputy director of the entity, Ramón Rodríguez Zamora, to the official newspaper Girón.
A restoration project for the Matanzas station was also announced, aimed at operational, tourism, and cultural purposes, funded by the Public Transport Development Fund.
According to René Peña García, deputy director of the Union of Railways of Cuba in Matanzas, the plan includes an initial phase focused on preserving the building as a heritage site to “later promote, when conditions allow, the transportation of passengers using diesel traction equipment, which will finally address the issue of communities that were only connected by the electric train.”
After more than seven years without service, the residents who relied on the electric train still lack stable alternatives. The so-called rehabilitation seems more like a public relations strategy than a real solution, while the lives of hundreds of families continue to be impacted by inaction.
The Hershey train was a true relic and one of the most famous trains on the island. It traveled from the Havana neighborhood of Casa Blanca to Matanzas, covering a distance of 98 kilometers that took just over three hours.
It was a blessing for the inhabitants of towns like San Juan, Dos Bocas, San Mateo, Río Blanco, San Adrián, Concuní, or San Francisco, and for many other settlements located far from the highway and the Central Highway.
The railway was named after the famous American chocolatier Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945), who commissioned its construction in the 1920s with the aim of connecting to the small town where the businessman established a sugar mill in 1916.
Their carriages date back to 1944 and were donated to Cuba in 1997 by the Spanish city of Barcelona. Of the 17 cars that the train had in the early 1920s, three authentic ones built in 1917 in Pennsylvania, home of the Hershey group, remain.
In 1916, the Hershey Corporation built a network of approximately 140 km of electric railways in Cuba for the transportation of its products and workers from Havana to the Hershey sugar factory, 45 km east of Havana. The launch of the railway network allowed them to transport goods and, starting in 1920, passengers, including their employees.
The Hershey Sugar Mill was sold to the Cuban Atlantic Sugar Company in 1946. Following the triumph of the 1959 revolution, the mill was nationalized and renamed Camilo Cienfuegos.
The sugar mill was one of the victims of the famous Álvaro Reynoso task, a plan conceived and ordered by Fidel Castro in 2002, which led to the dismantling of 120 out of the 165 sugar refineries that were operational at that time.
Today, the central and the town founded by Hershey is a shadow of its prosperous past, a "ghost" town in Santa Cruz del Norte.
Frequently Asked Questions about the "recovery" of the Hershey train in Cuba
What does the recovery of the Hershey train announced by the Cuban government imply?
The Cuban government has announced the revival of the Hershey train, but it will no longer be electric. The plan includes the restoration of the station in Matanzas and the use of diesel traction equipment for passenger transport. However, the project still lacks a clear start date and seems more like a publicity strategy than an effective solution for the affected communities.
Why is the Hershey train significant for Cuba?
The Hershey train is an important part of Cuban heritage, as it was the only electric train in the country and connected 46 rural communities between Havana and Matanzas. It was built by the Hershey Corporation in the 1920s to facilitate the transportation of products and workers to its sugar mill, and since then it has become a symbol of the island's railway history.
What challenges does the rehabilitation of the Hershey train face?
The main challenge is the lack of adequate infrastructure and the deterioration of the rolling stock. Additionally, there is no date set for the railway trials, and there is a lack of technical and financial resources. Furthermore, the rehabilitation efforts seem to be more focused on heritage restoration than on addressing the transportation needs of the affected communities.
How has the maintenance of the Hershey train been managed historically?
Historically, the maintenance of the Hershey train has been inadequate, leading to its current state of neglect. The cars, dating back to 1944, were donated by Barcelona in 1997, but since its cessation in 2017, the train and its infrastructure have fallen victim to vandalism and governmental neglect, reflecting a lack of a sustained plan for its maintenance and operation.
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