The Ferrocarriles Sancti Spíritus company does not rule out suspending its route between that city and Havana again due to the “high losses” it suffers due to high operating costs. At the moment, as confirmed by this newspaper, the sale of tickets is maintained on Friday mornings.
The state group has an extra train enabled last July to cover the demand for transport during the summer between Sancti Spíritus and Havana, but it has not yet been decided whether it will be left fixed or stopped, assured Andrés Pérez Cruz, head of the company. , to the institutional page Transporte Espirituano on September 8, “because the expenses are too great for the UEB and it has led us to high losses.”
Pérez Cruz explained that finances have deteriorated because the route operates with machinery rented from Ferro Azúcar and because, in addition, the “moderate price” that passengers pay, 40 pesos to Havana, does not cover the operating cost despite that the train has only one weekly trip.
Through a call to the company’s service center, 14ymedio verified that the sale of tickets is maintained on Fridays at eight in the morning for their departure journey on Saturdays and return on Sunday. The seller limited herself to saying that she does not know if the company is in the red.
“Now this has led us to the abyss and it is unsustainable to maintain a service in such disadvantageous conditions”
For his part, Pérez Cruz conceded that the destination to Havana has been very useful for passengers traveling to the capital, and even in the first days of its operation the business group was close to achieving a financial balance, but that, In August alone, it reported losses of 500,000 pesos. “Now this has led us to the abyss and it is unsustainable to maintain a service in such disadvantageous conditions,” he asserted.
In July, the frequency to Cienfuegos, operated twice a week, was also enabled, but the company announced its suspension at the beginning of September due to a drop in demand. Pérez Cruz explained that, in the two months that it was active, 16 trips were made, in which 2,000 passengers were mobilized and, although the train initially had four wagons, the last trips were made with three. There were even “trips of some empty cars,” he noted.
The official assured that the frequency service to the capital of the extra train has not experienced any failure and the itineraries have been fulfilled. Until the beginning of August, the company spokesman assured, some 4,000 passengers were mobilized in 10 departures.
Until further notice, the company will maintain the same itinerary, crew and locomotive leased. But the executive reiterated “the capacity must be maneuvered because on the last trip we had a considerable decrease in occupation.”
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our journal. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
