Havana/Trains in poor condition, worn out, stations on the edge of the collapse, delays in the itineraries, poisoning with the foods that are consumed in the convoys and accidents are the bread of every day of the thousands of Cubans who need to transport themselves in the country. To try to reduce the damages, the Ferrocarriles Union of Cuba (UFC) announced on Monday a “Route of Recovery to Contracorriente” in the National Railway System.
In an interview in CubadebateArgenis Jiménez Aparicio, deputy director of the UFC, said that “there are investments – without mentioning amounts – that are currently executed in several railway stations in the country”, such as those of Havana, blind of Ávila and Sancti Spíritus, “that are being the object of a capital reparation with the purpose of improving services to travelers.”
One of the priorities is to try to eradicate accidents. Derailments in the country have left injured people, such as what happened a month ago in Matanzasin a stretch near the road of Las Cuevas de Bellamar, when the Guantanamo-La Habana national train suffered the derailment of seven of its cars, four of which were completely separated from the rest of the convoy.
Derailments in the country have left injured people, such as what happened a month ago in Matanzas
The serious deterioration of railway infrastructure has also caused important losses of resources, such as the spill of three cars loaded with Honey. To that list are added cargoes of alcohol – Also in Matanzas– and even oil In Sancti Spíritus, that the same ruling classified as “a negative impact fact to the environment.”
Jiménez Aparicio said that, to face this situation – in a country where 67% of the roads and 40% of the infrastructure need maintenance -, a set of actions to minimize have been immediately implemented and, if possible, eradicate the causes and conditions generated and specific resources, to training work with crews and personnel linked to the rail movement. On this last point, he admitted that there has been “negligence” or “lack of forecast in rail operations by the personnel involved” in accidents.
On many occasions, added the deputy director of the UFC, to reduce the probability of mishaps, “it is necessary to reduce the speed of circulation”, but that entails another problem: delays. In this area, the lack of electrical energy in the railway stations has been “a factor that today is causing us great delays, because, when a blackout occurs or there is energy deficit – there have been two to national level So far this year – all communication with these stations is lost. ”
The lack of electrical energy in the railway stations “has been a factor that today is causing us great delays”
On the other hand, the recovery of the rolling material is affected by the deficit of spare parts. Many, “unquestionably, must be imported, and due to the country’s financial limitations, this has been very difficult,” said Jiménez Aparicio.
To do this, he indicated without further details, “contracts have already been completed abroad, and we hope that, towards the end of this year, pieces will be acquired to repair locomotives and passenger cars, especially those acquired in 2019, which today provide service in national trains.”
Once that step has taken, the plan is “to improve the inner comfort of passenger cars, which has suffered a natural deterioration after years of exploitation.” This includes the seats and bathrooms, although the official emphasized the “snack service with the best elaboration” of Cubacatering. In the interview, the vice -director of the UFC did not refer to the poisoning reported on September 19, 26 passengers traveling aboard the train that covers the route between Bayamo and Havana, caused by food sold on board the train and for what were hospitalized. However, he indicated that other “non -state management actors will enter to offer” other options and varieties of food products. ”
Although the plan is necessary before the unfortunate state of national rail transport, it has no concrete dates. The official said that one of the stages “corresponds to the work that can be executed in the short term, with minimal resources or that they only require very specific manual and mechanical work.” However, other actions are projected for the medium and long term, “due to their technical and logistics complexity.”
