The Central Eastern Railways Company announced the resumption of train service between Camagüey and Santa Cruz del Sur, with a maximum fare of 718 pesos (CUP) for the full round trip in both directions, reported this Saturday through its page on Facebook by the station Radio Cadena Agramonte.
The train will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. It will depart from the Camagüey station at 4:05 a.m. and arrive in Santa Cruz del Sur at 11:35 a.m., while the return trip will leave at 1:50 p.m. and reach Camagüey at 7:00 p.m.
The maximum fare is equivalent to 22% of the national minimum wage, set at 3,210 CUP since July. For employed workers, retirees, and pensioners, paying 718 CUP for a trip represents a significant portion of their monthly income for just one journey.
The fare is also below the 1,500 CUP that the Morón-Camagüey train ticket costs, which resumed service on Friday after being halted for months due to a lack of fuel, the price of which has sparked criticism among users on social media.
Additionally, the deplorable internal conditions of the Morón-Camagüey train cars ignited debates among users who described the service as a "scam" and "a disrespect to the people," raising doubts about whether the reactivation of routes truly represents a real improvement for the population.
The Camagüey-Santa Cruz del Sur branch extends approximately 98 kilometers and was inaugurated on December 14, 1923, making it part of the historical lines of the Cuban railway network.
Radio Cadena Agramonte also reported that work is underway to resume the services Camagüey-Nuevitas-Esmeralda and Camagüey-Esmeralda, although a start date for their operation has not yet been announced.
The reactivation comes amid a nationwide railway crisis. In July, Cuban trains operated barely 16 monthly services compared to 62 at their historical peak, a drop of 74%, with only 12 of the 34 necessary locomotives and 67% of the tracks in urgent need of maintenance.
In August, the Ministry of Transportation admitted that even those minimal frequencies could not be guaranteed due to a lack of diesel.
In recent days, the debate over the new railway fares in Cuba has intensified, following the announcement by authorities in Guantánamo of price changes, which are still awaiting approval from the Ministry of Finance and Prices.
The mechanism of the "select operational card," which finances the purchase of fuel in foreign currency and translates the cost into national currency for the ticket price, was mentioned in the official press of the eastern region as one of the factors explaining the widespread increase in prices.
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