News El Salvador
28.01.2024
Tren del pacífico
The project for a standard gauge railway line from San Salvador via Armenia to Acajutla is slowly progressing. It is now clear that the route should follow the old FENADESAL line wherever possible. That means from San Salvador via Ciudad Delgado, Apopa, Nejapa, Quetzaltepeque, Sitio del Niño, Ateos, Armenia, Los Lagartos, Sonsonate and Santa Clara to Acajutla. This is also the reason why FENADESAL did not transfer any properties located along this route to private individuals. This is in contrast to the allocations on other routes. The start of construction is still unknown, although this is due to financing. Since this route is also related to the project of the route from Mexico to Panama (Feristsa), it is very likely that the country will receive some aid in this way.
(Source: FCNews 76)
20.02.2022
Salvador – Paripe
The suburban train traffic from Salvador to Paripe was suspended some months ago to make space for the new monorail line, which may be built with Chinese help. But the inhabitants of the suburbs along the line are angry since they are missing every construction activity, because they lack of a payable transport mode.
(Source: Volta o Trem 26-0)
02.04.2019
Puerto Cortés – San Pedro Sula – La Unión
The Honduran government, in close cooperation with the Central American Bank for Development, is currently studying the construction of a railway line linking the port of Puerto Cortés via San Pedro Sula with the port of La Unión in El Salvador. Overall cost is expected to be around US$ 1bn; and the line will be reserved to freight trains only. The line will at a later stage connect with the planned Feristsa railway from Tapachula (Mexico) to Ciudad de Panamá (Panamá). It has been recognised that road transport is ruining the country due to the high costs and the lack of safety. The Honduran confederation of private companies welcomes the project, and the reactions from El Salvador have been positive as well. Financing is expected to be secured at the end of 2019 with planning and design work starting thereafter. According to government sources, construction work is due to start before 2023.
(Source: La Prensa)
10.05.2018
San Salvador – Apopa – Nejapa – Quezaltepeque – Sitio del Niño
The 40 km long railway line San Salvador – Apopa – Nejapa – Quezaltepeque – Sitio del Niño will finally be reactivated as a tourist Railway under the name TURITREN 503. The project is financed by the national Port Authority CEPA and the El Salvador-California Chamber of Commerce. Eyewitnesses are atlking of first works on stations and tracks at Nejapa. The municipalities of Sonsonate, Zacatecoluca und Armenia are also helping to establish railway museums on their premises.
(Source: Volta o Trem 22-5)
05.04.2018
San Miguel and Usulután
225 Families living on railway premises at San Miguel and Usulután got official land titles, making the rebuilding of railways in the East of El Salvador increasingly impossibly.
(Source: Volta o Trem 22-4)
Quezaltepeque – Nejapa
CEPA has initiated the reactivation of the Quezaltepeque – Nejapa line with various partners. It is planned to offer a regular tourist train at weekends over this stretch of about 5 km of the San Salvador – Sitio del Niño route with an existing steam locomotive.
(Source: Volta o Trem 22-4)
31.12.2016
San Salvador – Apopa
According to CEPA, parent entity of the Fenadesal state railway, suburban traffic over 8 km from San Salvador to Apopa could be re-instated. The line is frequently being inspected by permanent way staff using a track car, and repairs are carried out as required. A few diesel locomotives are serviceable and carry visitors in one or two passenger carriages on the premises of the San Salvador workshops.
(Source: CEPA)
Electric regional Railways
The Spanish project for electric regional railways appears to grow in size as a line towards the east to San Miguel is also on the cards, in addition to the line to Armenia and Sonsonate.
(Source: various private sightings)
23.09.2013
Infrastructure
Interest in the Central American countries for the Feristsa project has grown after freight traffic resumed between Ixtepec and Tapachula. Guatemala announced that it would promote the project of a rail link between Mexico and Panamá along with the Spanish state railway Renfe. A number of private Spanish firms also expressed their interest in the matter.
(Source: dif. Mexican Newspapers; La Nación (Honduras))
02.09.2012
FENADESAL
The spanish railway company FEVE hopes to close a deal with the public railway FENADESAL envisaging improvement of suburban traffic around San Salvador. Currently, only a limited service on weekdays connects San Salvador and Apopa. Both parties consider the reactivation of the San Salvador – Soyapango line as useful. This would, however, require a comprehensive rehabilitation of the infrastructure. FEVE also sees this as a chance to sell more Apolo trainsets. Experts from outside FEVE are wondering where those trains should come from as FEVE has now sold almost their entire Apolo fleet to Costa Rica and Argentina.
(Source: Fahrplancenter correspondents, FEVE)