News Guatemala
28.08.2023
Reconstruction
The Mexican company Remed is working hard to rebuild the about 230 km railway line from Tecún Umán to Puerto Quetzal (near Puerto San José). US$150 million will be investedduring 2023. Of this, US$6 to 7 million are accounted for improvements for the international section from CiudadHidalgo (Mexico) to Tecún Umán (Guatemala), which, however, is used regularly. Remed will definitely raise around US$700m. in the reconstruction of the Pacific network (Tecún Umán - Ciudad de Guatemala and Santa Maria - Puerto Quetzal). Subsequently, this company wants to raise around US$600m. in the rehabilitation of the Atlantic route Ciudad de Guatemala – Puerto Barrios. After intensive investigations, it was determined that the existing route of the former narrow gauge (914 mm) can be reused for the standard gauge (1435 mm) at least in the Pacific network. The concession for the railway was granted for 34 years. Customs offices on both sides of the border are also under construction and new contracts between the two countries will mean that the clearance of goods can be significantly accelerated. Of the currently around 18 million tonnes of goods on the Guatemalan roads, around 8 million. tonnes are expected to be transported by rail.
(Source: FCNews 72)
Tourist Train
On August 27, 2023, as well as on other dates, a train made up of several cars and a diesel locomotive ran through the city of Ciudad de Guatemala several times. The beginning and end of these journeys is the Railway Museum at the capital's train station.
(Source: FCNews 72)
26.04.2022
Ciudad Hidalgo - Tecún Umán
Early April construction of the freight railway started over the border from Ciudad Hidalgo (MX) to Tecún Umán (GU). It is the Mexican firm Remed which will invest at all US$700mio. The sum includes also the section further to Puerto Quetzal, at all 235 km.
(Source: Volta o Trem 26-1)
11.05.2021
Tecún Umán - Santa Maria
With financing from the Central American Development Bank, the Korean authority Koica was commissioned to examine and plan the rehabilitation of the railway line from Tecún Umán (at the border with Mexico) to Santa Maria and further construc-tion towards El Salvador by January 2022. The new route is to reuse the old narrow-gauge route as often as possible, but to be built in a 1435 mm gauge.
(Source: Volta o Trem 25-1)
Study about Local Trains in Cuidad de Guatemala
In mid-2020 repairs took place on parts of the railway line through Ciudad de Guatemala and there were some test trains running and in September 2020 an orchestra performed on freight cars, which played music through the city.
Koica was also commissioned to test the city passage through Ciudad de Guatemala in order to set up plans for city traffic on this railway line. Currently some repairs are carried out on this line, because there is a project for a tourist train.
(Source: Volta o Trem 25-1)
05.04.2018
Tecún Umán
Railway operator Ferrovias has still not rehabilitated the tracks at Tecún Umán station which avoids that freight trains from Mexico can arrive there. No date for completion of the works has been fixed due to lack of interest in Guatemala.
(Source: Volta o Trem 22-4)
31.12.2015
Ciudad Hidalgo - Tecún Umán
With help from Mexico, reconstruction of the cross-border line from Ciudad Hidalgo (Mexico) to Tecún Umán (Guatemala) has started. As in the past, the 1,3 km long section will be fitted with two track gauges (1435 mm and 914 mm). The main purpose is to establish connection to a petroleum deposit operated by Pemex in Guatemala, but it is intended that general freight traffic including exportations from Guatemala will also use the line. The line has been closed since 2005 after being destroyed by the impact of hurrican “Stan”.
According to sources in Guatemala, the government is planning to extend and rebuild the line to the outskirts of the capital, Ciudad de Guatemala, in order to revert freight traffic back to the rail mode. Funding for this has, however, not yet been secured.
(Source: El Periódico)
11.01.2015
Ciudad Hidalgo - Tecún Umán
México and Guatemala have agreed to re-build the railway line from Ciudad Hidalgo (Mexico) and Tecún Umán (Guatemala). The river bridge across the border was destroyed by a hurricane a few years ago and no action has been taken ever since. There is a strong interest in Guatemala to re-open the line as that country imports petrol products from Mexico via Tecún Umán which creates an important demand for transport. On the Mexican side, the already re-built line from Ixtepec and Tapachula leads close to Ciudad Hidalgo; only a few kilometres of track and the bridge have to be re-built.
(Source: Prensa Libre)
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
Suburban Traffic
The spanish operator FEVE has reached an agreement with the state railway administration FEGUA about the creation of a suburban train system in and around the capital Ciudad de Guatemala. FEVE intends to support FEGUA with the overhaul of existing diesel locomotives and passenger carriages. The network will be operated in two sections. Line 1 will start at the Central station northbound, across the famous Viaducto Las Vacas and reach the north bus terminal; 12 intermediate stops on 12 km route length. Line 2 will also originate at the Central station, then head southbound as far as the Puente Justo Rufino Barrios; 10 km route length with just 3 intermediate stations. In a second stage, it is hoped that second-hand diesel railcars of the Apolo type can be sourced for this traffic. FEGUA claims that the infrastructure is in good condition and only the wooden sleepers would need to be replaced by concrete sleepers.
(Source: Siglo XXI-Guatemala)