GUATEMALA Railways

 

• 1Ministry of Communications and Public Works
  • 1.1Key personnel
  • 1.2Political background
  • 1.3Freight operations
  • 1.4New lines
  • 1.5Improvements to existing lines
  • 1.6Traction and rolling stock
  • 1.7Track
• 2Bandegua Railway
  • 2.1Key personnel
  • 2.2Traction and rolling stock

Ministry of Communications and Public Works

Edifioio Aeronautica Civil, Zona 13, Guatemala City
Tel: (+502 2) 51 27 69 Fax: (+502 2) 816 13
Key personnel
Transport Minister: Fritz Garcia

Ferrocarriles de Guatemala (FEGUA)
9a Avenida ‘A’ 18-03, Zona 1, 01001 Guatemala City
Tel: (+502 2) 38 36 61 Fax: (+502 2) 38 20 39

[топ]Key personnel

Administrator: Lie Andres Porras Castillo Legal Manager: Lie Jaime Osorio
Finance Manager: Miguel A Carrillo C
Gauge: 914 mm
Route length: 784 km

[топ]Political background

Guatemala’s railway was nationalised in 1968. At this time, the railway had significant flows of passengers, coffee and bananas, although a severe lack of investment in the ensuing 20 years effectively eroded this traffic base. From a 1980s yearly average in excess of 500,000 tonnes of freight carried, FEGUA was down to little more than 100,000 tonnes per year by the mid-1990s. All passenger traffic ceased in 1994, and the entire network closed in March 1996, just as the government had begun privatisation.
In 1997, US-based Railroad Development Corporation beat one other firm to win a 50-year concession to run the system, paying the government US$10 million, plus 5 per cent of revenues for the first two years of operation and 10 per cent annually thereafter. A further US$10 million will need to be spent on upgrading the main Guatemala City-Puerto Barrios line. RDC established a Guatemalan affiliate, Compania Desarrolladora Ferroviaria SA (CODEFE) to prepare for a resumption of operations. The concession was signed in October 1997 and endorsed by Guatemala’s congress in April 1998. Operations under new ownership were expected to commence in July 1999. When operational, the company would trade as Ferrovias Guatemala.

The relocation of facilities in Guatemala City will involve RDC abandoning the present Central station in favour of a new container terminal in the industrial zone. The company also expects to generate extra income by selling right-of-way to pipeline, electricity, and fibre optic communications concerns.

[топ]Freight operations

Freight services resumed on 15 April 1999 between El Chile and Guatemala City, a 60 km stretch of the Guatemala City-Puerto Barrios Atlantic line. Trains run three times weekly and convey cement to a terminal at Guatemala City.

[топ]New lines

FEGUA studied the creation of a 28 km commuter line in Guatemala City. The scheme involved construction of a 10 km cross-town link between existing sections of the railway. Service by railbuses was proposed, and the cost of the scheme was estimated to be US$70 million. FEGUA trackage in Guatemala City was subsequently proposed for conversion into an east-west surface metro, under a scheme promoted in 1995 by the Guatemalan company Metroguat. However, RDC has no short-term plans to restart passenger operations.

[топ]Improvements to existing lines

Despite difficulties such as stolen rail and washouts due to Hurricane Mitch, Ferrovias Guatemala has rehabilitated the first 60 km of the Atlantic line between El Chile and Guatemala City. Reopening for freight services of the section between El Chile and Puerto Barrios was expected by the end of 1999. The main commodities to be carried are bananas, coal and container traffic. In a second phase, rehabilitation is planned of the Pacific route from Esquintla to Retalhuleu and Tecun on the Mexican border. This will serve as a feeder route into Mexico for containers. It is intended to establish a transhipment point for transferring this traffic from the 914 mm gauge of Guatemala to the Mexican standardgauge network at the Mexican border station of Ciudad Hidalgo. Containers for Guatemala City will be unloaded at Esquintla. In a later phase, the Esquintla-Guatemala City line may be restored to service. Rebuilding the Zacapa-Anguiatu line is also planned, connecting the networkds of Guatemala and El Salvador.

[топ]Traction and rolling stock

Prior to the 1996 cessation of operations the FEGUA fleet totalled 28 General Electric diesel and two steam locomotives, 68 passenger coaches and 1,523 wagons. Recent additions are 10 Type MX620 1,492 kW locomotives from Bombardier; serviceable examples of this type and of 15 General Electric U10s locomotives will form the traction for RDC’s revival of operations.

[топ]Track

Rail: 30 kg/m
Sleepers: Timber, spaced 1,800/km in plain track, 1,000/km in curves
Max curvature: 6°
Max gradient: 3.3%
Max permissible axleload: 20 tonnes

Bandegua Railway

Cia de Desarrollo Bananero de Guatemala Ltd
Edificio La Galeria 5° Nivel, 7 Avenue 1444, Zone 9,
Guatemala City
Tel: (+502 2) 34 03 78 Fax: (+502 2) 32 21 52

[топ]Key personnel

General Manager: G К Brunelle
Director of Engineering: E Casado Railroad Superintendent: G Aguirre Mechanical Superintendent: M Perez
Gauge: 914 mm
Route length: 102 km

[топ]Traction and rolling stock

The company operates 11 diesel locomotives, 17 diesel railcars, seven passenger coaches and 101 freight wagons.